Serena Re-injures Knee, Falls to Petrova at Amelia Island

Posted on April 11, 2004

Serena Williams experienced an injury to the left knee that kept her out of the game for eight months, re-tweaking the knee in a 6-2, 6-3 loss to Russian Nadia Petrova Friday night at Amelia Island.

The loss ended an eight-match winning streak by Williams that began in her return to the tour in Miami.

"I blew out one of my wheels today," Williams said. "I was only working with three wheels as opposed to four...I don't think I'll be out a while at all."

After not showing any signs of knee problems during the week, Williams entered the quarterfinal encounter with the Russian wearing a brace on her left knee, which soon needed attention from a WTA trainer after the first game of the second set.

Williams said she felt something wrong with her knee during warm-ups. "I felt a little pain," she said. "But I kind of just brushed it off."


Petrova was 0-3 against Williams going into the match and now faces Lindsay Davenport, a straight-set winner over ninth-seeded Paola Suarez, in a Saturday semifinal. "I knew I was going to have a tough match, and I really focused on my serve because I knew I could get free points with it," said Petrova.

Also into the semifinals Friday were (1) Justine Henin-Hardenne (d. (8)Zvonareva) and (3)Amelie Mauresmo (d. (10)Farina Elia).

Saturday's semifinals line up as (1) Henin-Hardenne vs. (3) Mauresmo, and (4)Davenport vs. (7)Petrova, with the double semifinals Krasnoroutskaya/Zvonareva vs. Casanova/Molik, and Ruano Pascual/Suarez vs. Petrova/Shaughnessy.

Top-seeded Emilie Loit (d. Marrero) moved into the semifinals at Casablanca Friday, joined by (4)Ludmila Cervanova (d. (Q)Domachowski), but two other seeds weren't so lucky in (7)Lubomira Kurhajcova (l. to defending champ Rita "Ain't It" Grande) and (8)Maria Elena Camerin (l. to Klara "Kouky" Koukalova).

On tap Saturday in the semis are (1)Loit vs. Grande, and Koukalova vs. (4)Cervanova. The doubles final will be (1)Bartoli/Loit vs. (2)Callens/Srebotnik.

Davis Cup World Group Quarterfinal Results

U.S. vs. Sweden tied 1-1
Jonas swallowed the Fish Friday at Delray Beach when the Swedish doubles specialist Jonas Bjorkman outlasted numerous rain delays and Mardy Fish 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5. Andy Roddick then pulled Fish's fish out of the fire with a 6-4, 7-5, 6-2 win over Thomas Enqvist to even the tie at 1-1. Saturday will decide who takes the lead when the Bryan brothers face Bjorkman/Thomas Johansson in the doubles.
Belarus leads Argentina 2-0
Belarus captain Sergei Teterin wasn't joking when he said they were going to lay down a fast carpet surface that was more like an ice rink to counter Argentina's dirtballers. Without Top 10ers Guillermo Coria (back injury) and David Nalbandian (ankle), the Argentines went down meekly in the opening singles, with Vladimir Voltchkov beating last-minute replacement Agustin Calleri 6-3, 6-4, 6-2, and Max "The Beast" Mirnyi rolling over Guillermo Canas 2, 2, and 2. The Beast/Vlady will try and clinch the tie in the Saturday doubles against Lucas Arnold/Calleri for the Argentines.

Switzerland vs. France tied 1-1
World No. 1 Roger Federer swept to an opening win over Nicolas Escude 6-2, 6-4, 6-4, but France's Arnaud Clement leveled the tie with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 trouncing of Ivo "I Used to Date Hingis" Heuberger, a career challenger-level player. As usual, Club Fed will be expected to shoulder the burden, playing the Saturday doubles with Yves Allegro in a must-win against France's Escude/Michael Llodra.

Spain leads Netherlands 2-0
The Dutch failed to win a set Friday on the dirt in Mallorca, with Carlos Moya avenging last years loss at Roland Garros to Martin Verkerk with a 6-2, 7-5, 6-4 win, and Juan Carlos Ferrero rolling over "Everybody Loves" Raemon Sluiter 6-2, 6-2, 6-4. Look for the Spanish doubles tandem of Rafael "The Prodigy" Nadal and Tommy Robredo to clinch it on Saturday against John van Lottum and Verkerk for the Dutch.

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