Federer, Roddick, Safin Battle in ATP Bangkok Semifinals

Posted on October 2, 2004

The top four seeds stormed into the ATP Bangkok semifinals Friday without dropping a set, three of who are current or former No. 1 players.

World No. 1 Roger Federer (d. (8) Soderling) and No. 2 Andy Roddick (d. Thomas "Tommy the J." Johansson) moved within one match of reviving their rivalry in the final, and were joined in the semis by No. 3 Marat Safin (d. Saretta) and No. 4 seed and homecountry favorite Paradorn "The Thai Fighter" Srichaphan (d. Van Scheppingen).

Soderling served for the first set against Federer at 5-4 before the Swiss broke back to take the set in a tiebreak, then won 6-4 in the second.

"I had a tough time breaking him up until he served for the set," Federer said. "I thought he was the toughest opponent by far in the tournament."

Roddick's game came back on line Friday, throwing down 21 aces in the 51-minute win over the former Australian Open winner Johansson.

"I played aggressive," Roddick said after the 6-3, 6-4 win. "He didn't give me that many chances to get into his service games."

The semifinals match up as (1) Federer vs. (4) The Thai Fighter (first career meeting), and (3) Safin vs. (2) Roddick. Safin has won two of his three meetings with A-Rod, this year beating him in January at the Australian Open, while the American won in later in March at the Masters Series-Indian Wells.

The doubles semifinals are Swedes Aspelin/Landsberg vs. Swiss Allegro/Federer, and Americans Gimelstob/Oliver vs. (4)Kerr/Thomas.

Novak, Canas Top Dogs Left at ATP Shanghai

The seedings held Friday in the quarterfinals at the ATP stop in Shanghai, with No. 2 Jiri Novak stopping No. 8 Jan-Mike Gambill, and No. 3 Guillermo Canas holding off No. 7 Ricardo Mello "Yello," both in straight sets.

"I think we played one of the best games in the tournament," said Canas, who attempted to keep the ball away from Mello's wheelhouse forehand in the 6-3, 6-4 win. "It was great for the spectators."

Also into the semis were un-seeds Kenneth Carlsen of Denmark (d. Muller), and Germany's Lars Burgsmuller (d. Sanguinetti 7-6 in the third).

Saturday's semifinals line up as (3) Canas vs. (2) Novak (career meetings tied 1-1), and Carlsen vs. Burgsmuller (tied 2-2).

Local Volandri Leads Seeds Into Semis at WTA Palermo

No. 5-seeded local Filippo Volandri (d. (1) Massu) led a motley crew into the semis at the ATP stop in Palermo on the dirt Friday, including (7) Dave Ferrer (d. (4) Davydenko in three), (8) Tomas Berdych (d. local (WC) Seppi), and unseeded Argentine Juan "The Principality" Monaco (d. Olivier "Mucus" Mutis).

"He went for the lines and hit them, I went for the lines and missed them," the top-seeded Massu said. "That was the difference together with my serve, I hit second serves basically all the match."

Monaco, for his part, was happy as the only unseeded player into the semis.

"It was a great day for me even if it was very hot today and it was windy in the second set too," Monaco said. "I am very happy, not only to reach my second ATP semifinal but also because I got a special exempt for Lyon next week."

On court Saturday are (7) Ferrer vs. (8) Berdych, and (5) Volandri vs. Monaco.

Clijsters, Dementieva Advance Toward Final at WTA Hasselt

Top-seeded Russian Elena Dementieva (d. Denisa "Hanging" Chladkova) and No. 2 seed Kim Clijsters (d. (7) Maleeva) advanced one step closer to a final confrontation Friday at the WTA stop in Hasselt.

"I am extremely pleased with my level of play," said Clijsters, who is on the side icing her surgically-repaired wrist between matches.

Also into the semifinals were (3) Elena "Lena" Bovina (d. (5) Schiavone) and unseeded Italian Maria Elena Camerin (d. Ruano Pascual in three).

Saturday's semifinal match-up are (1) Dementieva vs. Camerin, and (3) Bovina vs. (2) Clijsters.

Lots of Li-way for Chinese at WTA Guangzhou

Two Chinese underdogs rolled into the WTA Guangzhou semifinals Friday when qualifier Na Li upset No. 6 seed Kristina "You're a Fine Girl" Brandi 6-4, 6-0, and wildcard Ting Li bested countrywoman Shuai Peng 6-2, 6-2.

The semifinals at Guangzhou will be an all-unseeded affair, with the addition of Slovak Martina "Nurse, I Need a" Sucha (d. Tanasugarn) and Czech Barbora Strycova (d. Dinara "Little Sis" Safina).

Na Li is currently at No. 145 on the WTA Rankings, while Ting Li weighs in at No. 222.

The first Saturday semifinal will be all-Chinese, all-Li, followed by Strycova vs. Sucha.

Sharapova, Spears Duet with Wins at WTA Seoul

Maria Sharapova, the $300,000 (guarantee appearance) woman, moved into the semifinals at the WTA stop in Seoul, dropping only three games in dismissing No. 8 seed Sam Stosur.

"Today I came out and I knew it would be cold so I had to move around quickly just to keep my body warm," said Sharapova, who was proud she remembered her warm-up outfit. "I came out prepared."

Sharapova waited out a four-hour rain delay before taking to the court, and marvelled at the changing weather conditions.

"I don't think I've ever been in a place where I could have been tanning on one day and wearing a winter jacket the next," said the Russian endorsement machine. "They told me it was going to snow tomorrow."

Time to line up that ski apparel contract.

The Russian grunter was joined in the semifinals Friday by three players ranked outside the Top 100 in American Abigail "Oops I Did It Again" Spears (d. (Q) Peer), Luxembourg's Anne "Kosmo" Kremer (d. Mamic 6-1 in the third), and Poland's Marta Domachowska (d. Talaja 6-0 in the third).

On Saturday Domachowska will face Spears in a dance-off, while Sharapova takes on Kremer.

TENNIS DISCUSSIONS
See what all the chatter is about, the talk, the walk, don't balk on the latest issues in pro tennis at http://www.tennis-x.com/discussions.php

FREE DAILY TENNIS-X NEWSLETTER
Our free gift to you. Make it a gift to yourself. Go to www.Tennis-X.com. Sign up today and we'll attach the Anna Kournikova virus, free of charge.

TENNIS-X NEWS, NOTES, QUOTES AND BARBS
Anna Kournikova will join Andy Roddick for his celebrity charity weekend December 11th and 12th, 2004 in Boca Raton, Florida. The pro-celebrity exhibition benefits the Andy Roddick Foundation, which provides counseling for teenagers addicted to too much hair gel...So far Justine Henin-Hardenne (mystery illness), Serena Williams (knee) and Jennifer Capriati (flu) have pulled from the WTA event in Filderstadt next week...Opening matches in the Superset exhibition this weekend are "Grinning" Greg Rusedski vs. Boris Becker, Goran Ivanisevic vs. Tommy "The R." Robredo, Robby "Baby Courier" Ginepri vs. Mario "Baby Goran" Ancic, and John McEnroe vs. Brit comer Andy Murray.