August 25, 2005
Four Remain in New Haven
NEW HAVEN, Conn. - The four semifinal participants at this year's Pilot Pen
Tennis presented by Michelob Ultra were determined on Thursday in New Haven.
Two of the world's top three players, along with a first-time semifinalist
and a rising Spanish star make up the final four at the Tier II tuneup for
the US Open.
Top seed Lindsay Davenport continues to perform well after missing almost a
month due to a back injury, defeating Daniela Hantuchova, 62 76(5). After
easily prevailing in the first set, Davenport got more of a fight from
Hantuchova in the second before taking the match in a tie-break and improving
to 4-0 lifetime against the player from the Slovak Republic.
For Davenport, this week's action in New Haven is as much about playing for a
title as it is for shaking off the rust after having missed several weeks of
action.
"I think it's about playing matches," Davenport said. "I think it would be
wrong of me to expect that I can come out after seven or eight weeks and be
perfect. So there's always going to be aspects of my game that need to be
worked on and stuff that you can really only get from playing matches. And
that's like hitting a good serve and getting ready for the ball to come back."
The American's absense from the summer hard court circuit helped Maria
Sharapova took over the world's No.1 ranking this week. However, Sharapova's
stay at the top could be a short one for now. Should Davenport reach the New
Haven final this week, she will return to the top ranking on Monday, August 29,
regardless of whom she defeats in the semifinals, and regardless of whether
or not she wins the title.
Davenport advances to Friday's semifinal round where she'll be up against
Russian teenager Anna Chakvetadze, who will be competing in a Sony Ericsson
WTA Tour semifinal for the first time. Chakvetadze moved into the next round
on Thursday with a 64 64 victory against Chinese lucky loser Zheng Jie.
The 18-year-old from Moscow is having a fantastic summer on the U.S. hard
courts, having already reached the quarterfinals in San Diego and the third
round in Los Angeles.
Chakvetadze and Davenport will be facing one another for the first time.
No.2 seed Amelie Mauresmo is into the semifinals for the second straight week,
defeating Anna-Lena Groenefeld, 63 62. The Frenchwoman made it to the semis
last week in Toronto, but was ousted by Justine Henin-Hardenne.
Mauresmo will be seeking her first finals appearance in a hard court tournament
since last August's title run in Montreal when she takes on Spain's Anabel
Medina Garrigues.
Medina Garrigues pulled off the tournament's biggest shocker so far with her
64 63 upset of No.4 seed Elena Dementieva. The victory against the world's
No.6-ranked player was the best of the Spaniard's career and also her first
Top 10 victory.
"I feel like I can win against the Top 10," Medina Garrigues said. "I needed
one of those. Now I win against Dementieva, but I don't have to go to the
stars and start to go crazy. I have to stay on the earth and stay with my
work and try to feel the same today and do it more times."
Dementieva said having to take the court for a 10:00 start didn't help her
game, but credited Medina Garrigues for playing well.
"It was difficult for me to play at ten o'clock," Dementieva said.
"But I have to say she was playing unbelievably well today. I was always down
during the match. She didn't give me any easy points so I was fighting for
every single ball."
Medina Garrigues, who owns four career clay court titles, will be competing
in her second career Tier II semifinal and first since reaching the final
four in Antwerp in 2003.
However, Medina Garrigues could have her hands full against Mauresmo, whom
she has fallen to in all three previous meetings, including a Fed Cup matchup
earlier this year.
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