Jankovic sister double puts her in elite group
Source: Agencies |
May 9, 2010, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
TOP-RANKED Serena Williams squandered a match point in the Italian Open semifinals in Rome and lost to former No. 1 Jelena Jankovic 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5) on Friday.
Jankovic is aiming for her third title at the Foro Italico after winning in 2007 and 2008. She routed Serena's older sister Venus 6-0, 6-1 in the quarterfinals and became only the seventh player to beat both Williams in the same tournament -- joining Aranxta Sanchez Vicario, Steffi Graf, Martina Hingis, Kim Clijsters, Lindsay Davenport and Justine Henin. Clijsters is the only player to achieve the feat twice.
"To beat both Williams sisters in two days is really amazing," Jankovic said. "I'm really proud of myself. It doesn't happy too often."
Serena served for the match twice in the third set and was broken both times, wasting a match point when she hit a backhand long at 5-4.
She jumped out to a 5-2 lead in the tiebreaker but missed four consecutive baseline shots to hand Jankovic her second final of the year.
"I wasn't playing the points right. I feel like I should have won, could have won," Serena said.
"I think I had an apple in my throat, but it is what it is."
Having been out with a knee injury since her Australian Open title in January, however, Serena didn't want to dwell on the loss.
"I can't beat myself up over it -- I just came back," she said.
Unseeded Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez of Spain prevented an all-Serb final when she beat another former No. 1 -- Ana Ivanovic -- 6-4, 6-2.
Ivanovic, whose ranking has slipped to No. 58, struggled to counter Martinez Sanchez's serve-and-volley game. The 26th-ranked Spaniard also was effective with drop shots.
In Portugal, Roger Federer recovered from an erratic start to beat Arnaud Clement 7-6 (7), 6-2 on Friday and reach the semifinals of the Estoril Open in Oeiras.
Federer will play defending champion Albert Montanes, after the fourth-seeded Spaniard defeated Pablo Cuevas 6-4, 6-3.
There were upsets in both of the women's semifinals, as Arantxa Parra Santonja of Spain overcame second-seeded Sorana Cirstea of Romania 6-1, 6-4, and Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia rallied to beat No. 7 Peng Shuai of China 6-7 (6), 6-1, 6-3.
Jankovic is aiming for her third title at the Foro Italico after winning in 2007 and 2008. She routed Serena's older sister Venus 6-0, 6-1 in the quarterfinals and became only the seventh player to beat both Williams in the same tournament -- joining Aranxta Sanchez Vicario, Steffi Graf, Martina Hingis, Kim Clijsters, Lindsay Davenport and Justine Henin. Clijsters is the only player to achieve the feat twice.
"To beat both Williams sisters in two days is really amazing," Jankovic said. "I'm really proud of myself. It doesn't happy too often."
Serena served for the match twice in the third set and was broken both times, wasting a match point when she hit a backhand long at 5-4.
She jumped out to a 5-2 lead in the tiebreaker but missed four consecutive baseline shots to hand Jankovic her second final of the year.
"I wasn't playing the points right. I feel like I should have won, could have won," Serena said.
"I think I had an apple in my throat, but it is what it is."
Having been out with a knee injury since her Australian Open title in January, however, Serena didn't want to dwell on the loss.
"I can't beat myself up over it -- I just came back," she said.
Unseeded Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez of Spain prevented an all-Serb final when she beat another former No. 1 -- Ana Ivanovic -- 6-4, 6-2.
Ivanovic, whose ranking has slipped to No. 58, struggled to counter Martinez Sanchez's serve-and-volley game. The 26th-ranked Spaniard also was effective with drop shots.
In Portugal, Roger Federer recovered from an erratic start to beat Arnaud Clement 7-6 (7), 6-2 on Friday and reach the semifinals of the Estoril Open in Oeiras.
Federer will play defending champion Albert Montanes, after the fourth-seeded Spaniard defeated Pablo Cuevas 6-4, 6-3.
There were upsets in both of the women's semifinals, as Arantxa Parra Santonja of Spain overcame second-seeded Sorana Cirstea of Romania 6-1, 6-4, and Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia rallied to beat No. 7 Peng Shuai of China 6-7 (6), 6-1, 6-3.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
