Williams Sisters, Nadal Ousted in Friday Play

Posted on April 9, 2005

Davenport Advances, Serena and Venus Lose at WTA Amelia Island

Twelve players were forced to complete rain-delayed or rain-cancelled third-round matches Friday at the WTA stop at Amelia Island, where the showers narrowly avoided soaking the event for a second consecutive day.

In third-round play, No. 5 seed Venus Williams came charging back in a match postponed at one-set all against qualifier Marta Domachowska, rolling the Pole 6-2 in the third set. Venus later took the momentum with her in a quarterfinal match-up with Lindsay Davenport, stunning the world No. 1 6-1 in the opening set before Davenport regained her composure to sweep the next two sets 6-3, 6-4.

"I was still struggling in the second set, but I escaped some trouble when it was 3-all," Davenport said, with Venus committing three unforced errors and a double fault to drop serve at 3-4 in the second set. "I seemed to gain a lot of confidence when that game was over. I was able to move forward and not look back so much...She had a lot of opportunities and had a lot of break points in that second set and didn't take advantage of them."

Venus, who says there is no doubt she will return to the No. 1 ranking, says the loss was "not like her."

"I just didn't win some of the key points," Venus said. "In the end, I rushed too many shots. I had some easy shots, I just didn't make them. That's not like me."

Unseeded Frenchwoman Virginie Razzano also won two Friday, ousting No. 13 seed Ai Sugiyama 7-5 in the third in third-round play, then upsetting No. 6-seeded Russian Vera Zvonareva in straight sets.

Others winning two on Friday to gain the semifinals were No. 7-seeded Russian Nadia Petrova (d. (11) Jankovic, and (15) Asagoe in three in a match featuring two bagel sets), and (12) Silvia Farina Elia (d. (8) Schnyder, (2) Serena).

Serena won the first set over Farina Elia and held three match points in the second-set tiebreak before dropping the breaker then retiring with a sprained ankle.

"I was running for a ball and totally twisted my ankle," Serena said. "Things just spiraled downward from there. Of course I wanted to finish the match, but I obviously couldn't move very well and wasn't able to do it. I think Silvia played the best I've ever seen. It's a shame that it had to be like that, but I'll be ready for the next time we play. I hope to play her again."

In earlier third-round play Asagoe upset (3) Anastasia Myskina in two tiebreaks before bowing out, while (12) Farina Elia came from a set down to defeat (8) Patty Schnyder.

On tap for the Saturday semifinals in Amelia Island are (1) Davenport vs. (7) Petrova (Davenport leads career series 5-0), and the unseeded Razzano vs. (12) Farina Elia (F.E. leads 1-0).

Andreev Stops Nadal Run at ATP Valencia

No. 7-seeded Russian Igor Andreev, utilizing a scorching return of serve, broke No. 3 seed Rafael Nadal six times en route to a 7-5, 6-2 win Friday on clay at the ATP stop in Valencia.

Nadal was seeking his fourth consecutive final after two claycourt tournament wins and the final at the Masters Series-Miami.

Spanish qualifier Ivan Navarro Pastor pulled the second upset of the day, reaching his first tour semifinal by coming from a set down to defeat No. 2 seed Fernando Gonzalez.

The other two all-Spanish quarterfinals featuring Al Martin vs. (5) Dave Ferrer, and Al Costa vs. (6) Fernando Verdasco were postponed to Saturday due to rain.

Saturday's line-up will be A.Martin vs. (5) Ferrer, Costa vs. (6) Verdasco, (7) Andreev vs. (Q) Navarro Pastor, then Costa or Verdasco vs. A.Martin or Ferrer.

The doubles semifinals will be (1) Arnold/Hood vs. Leach/Parrott, and (3) Gonzalez/Rodriguez vs. (2)Knowle/Pala.

Argentines Puerta, Monaco Trump the French at ATP Casablanca

Two members of the Argentine Army advanced into the semifinals at the ATP claycourt stop in Casablanca Friday when No. 6 seed Mariano Puerta came from a set down to deny unseeded Frenchman Arnaud Clement, and unseeded comer Juan Monaco overturned a set deficit against French qualifier Gilles Simon.

"It is unbelievable, all matches against Arnaud Clement are difficult ones," Puerta said. "I wasn't very comfortable in the first set but I have been able, little by little to find my game and I finished the match playing very solid tennis."

Also into the semis were No. 2 seed Filippo Volandri of Italy (d. (7) Muller) and unseeded Czech Tomas Zib (d. (8) C.Rochus), continuing his tear after earlier in the event ousting top-seeded Rainer Schuettler.

Saturday's semifinal match-ups will be (2) Volandri vs. (6) Puerta (career tour and challenger meetings tied 2-2), and Monaco vs. Zib in an all-unseeded first-time meeting.

The doubles final will also be played Saturday, with No. 2-seeded Czechs Cermak/Friedl against Garcia/Horna.

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TENNIS-X NEWS, NOTES, QUOTES AND BARBS
The "Tennis Live" internet radio show will broadcast from the WTA stop in Amelia Island today from 1-3 p.m., check it out at www.1320thedrive.com...Jim Courier and Andre Agassi will play doubles together at the ATP stop in Houston beginning April 18...Lleyton Hewitt will make his acting debut alongside fiancee Bec Cartwright in the cast of Australia Channel 7's "Home and Away" soap opera...Stadium court announcer Andrew Krasny has had them laughing in the aisles this week at the WTA stop in Amelia Island, on Monday M.C.-ing the "award-winning Fernandina Pirates Club" storming the stadium court, telling fans "You won't see this at Wimbledon," and telling fans about the Lindsay Davenport bobblehead doll giveaway, "They're 6-feet-1, so bring a big car, or have a sun roof." Alright, so we're easily entertained.