Top 3 Women in Action Wednesday at US Open
Posted on September 6, 2006FLUSHING MEADOWS, NY, USA -- On Tuesday, Jelena Jankovic became the first player into the final four, crushing Elena Dementieva in straight sets. On Wednesday, the remaining three semifinal slots will be filled. Read on for a preview of Day 10's three quarterfinal match-ups.
Second up on Arthur Ashe
(2) Justine Henin-Hardenne (BEL) vs. (10) Lindsay Davenport (USA) -- Henin-Hardenne leads, 6-5
Two multiple Grand Slam champions and former No.1s will fight it out under afternoon skies as Henin-Hardenne plays Davenport. Henin-Hardenne, a five-time major winner and current world No.2, has been playing some of the best tennis of the tournament, dropping just 14 games through her first four rounds. Davenport, a three-time major titlist and current No.11, has had to battle her way through some tougher matches, the most difficult of which was a third round encounter with Katarina Srebotnik, where she was forced to save two match points before clinching it in a third set tie-break; but Davenport has held her nerve throughout. These two will resume a deep rivalry; Davenport won their first five encounters (including once here, in 2000) but Henin-Hardenne has taken charge in their last six (including the week before the US Open in the New Haven final, where the American was forced to retire with a shoulder strain in the second set).
Second up on Armstrong
(1) Amelie Mauresmo (FRA) vs. (12) Dinara Safina (RUS) -- Mauresmo leads, 2-1
Mauresmo emerged victorious from a dangerous fourth round encounter with one of the most powerful players out there, seven-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams, and now faces another hard-hitting opponent in Safina. Safina has quietly worked her way through to her first US Open quarterfinal, which is also her 11th quarterfinal of the year. That steadiness has seen her work her way all the way up to No.13 in the world, on the verge of a Top 10 ranking for the first time. And her game matches up well against Mauresmo's; she has one prior win over the Frenchwoman, in the final of Paris [Indoors] last season. But there is a vast difference in experience playing on this grand stage; Mauresmo is contesting her 17th career Grand Slam quarterfinal (sixth straight at the US Open), while Safina is in her second, having gone this far at Roland Garros earlier this year.
Feature night match on Arthur Ashe
(3) Maria Sharapova (RUS) vs. (27) Tatiana Golovin (FRA) -- Sharapova leads, 3-0
These teens played one of the most competitive matches of the year in the semis of Miami this year, albeit with an unfortunate ending. After dropping the opening set, Golovin battled back from a 5-1 second set deficit (and four match points trailing 5-3) to push the match to a deciding third; but trailing 4-3 in that decider, the Frenchwoman sprained her left ankle, forcing her to retire from the match and hand Sharapova a 63 67(5) 43 win. Since missing the majority of the next few months to rehabilitate, Golovin has been playing some solid tennis, reaching the semis at Stanford and now making her way into her first major quarterfinal, where she will again take on Sharapova, a Grand Slam overachiever in the last few years. The Russian was the only one last year to reach the semis at three of four majors, and now again goes for her third major semi of the year.
-- WTA
Second up on Arthur Ashe
(2) Justine Henin-Hardenne (BEL) vs. (10) Lindsay Davenport (USA) -- Henin-Hardenne leads, 6-5
Two multiple Grand Slam champions and former No.1s will fight it out under afternoon skies as Henin-Hardenne plays Davenport. Henin-Hardenne, a five-time major winner and current world No.2, has been playing some of the best tennis of the tournament, dropping just 14 games through her first four rounds. Davenport, a three-time major titlist and current No.11, has had to battle her way through some tougher matches, the most difficult of which was a third round encounter with Katarina Srebotnik, where she was forced to save two match points before clinching it in a third set tie-break; but Davenport has held her nerve throughout. These two will resume a deep rivalry; Davenport won their first five encounters (including once here, in 2000) but Henin-Hardenne has taken charge in their last six (including the week before the US Open in the New Haven final, where the American was forced to retire with a shoulder strain in the second set).
Second up on Armstrong
(1) Amelie Mauresmo (FRA) vs. (12) Dinara Safina (RUS) -- Mauresmo leads, 2-1
Mauresmo emerged victorious from a dangerous fourth round encounter with one of the most powerful players out there, seven-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams, and now faces another hard-hitting opponent in Safina. Safina has quietly worked her way through to her first US Open quarterfinal, which is also her 11th quarterfinal of the year. That steadiness has seen her work her way all the way up to No.13 in the world, on the verge of a Top 10 ranking for the first time. And her game matches up well against Mauresmo's; she has one prior win over the Frenchwoman, in the final of Paris [Indoors] last season. But there is a vast difference in experience playing on this grand stage; Mauresmo is contesting her 17th career Grand Slam quarterfinal (sixth straight at the US Open), while Safina is in her second, having gone this far at Roland Garros earlier this year.
Feature night match on Arthur Ashe
(3) Maria Sharapova (RUS) vs. (27) Tatiana Golovin (FRA) -- Sharapova leads, 3-0
These teens played one of the most competitive matches of the year in the semis of Miami this year, albeit with an unfortunate ending. After dropping the opening set, Golovin battled back from a 5-1 second set deficit (and four match points trailing 5-3) to push the match to a deciding third; but trailing 4-3 in that decider, the Frenchwoman sprained her left ankle, forcing her to retire from the match and hand Sharapova a 63 67(5) 43 win. Since missing the majority of the next few months to rehabilitate, Golovin has been playing some solid tennis, reaching the semis at Stanford and now making her way into her first major quarterfinal, where she will again take on Sharapova, a Grand Slam overachiever in the last few years. The Russian was the only one last year to reach the semis at three of four majors, and now again goes for her third major semi of the year.
-- WTA