1/7

Singles QF:
(4) Serena Williams vs Tamarine Tanasugarn 6-2 6-1
(3) Anna Kournikova vs Li Fang 6-1 6-4
Doubles SF:
Serena Williams/Li Fang vs Venus Williams/Lillian Lin Ning 7-6(2) 3-6 6-3

1/8

Singles SF:
(2) Venus Williams vs (3) Anna Kournikova 6-4 6-3
(4) Serena Williams vs (1) Steffi Graf 2-6 6-7(4)
Doubles SF:
Anna Kournikova/Tamarine Tanasugarn vs Steffi Graf/Tong Ka-Po

1/9

Singles F:
(2) Venus Williams vs (1) Steffi Graf 2-2 ret. (Graf: gastric influenza)
Exhibition: Venus Williams vs Anna Kournikova 6-2 4-6 6-4
Doubles F:
Serena Williams/Li Fang vs Anna Kournikova/Tamarine Tanasugarn (Serena lost)


> -------------------------------------------------------------------------- <



AAP Sports News (Australia)
01-09-1999
TEN: Stomach bug forces Graf out of Hong Kong event

HONG KONG, Jan 9 AFP - German tennis ace Steffi Graf's Australian Open
preparations
suffered a jolt today when she was forced to pull out of an exhibition event
here with
suspected gastric influenza.

Graf was level at 2-2 against America's Venus Williams in the final of the
Super Power
Challenge Cup when she withdrew complaining of stomach pains.



> -------------------------------------------------------------------------- <



Sisters take exhibition seriously

Edward Passos

Wednesday, January 06, 1999

TENNIS

THE Williams sisters, Venus and Serena, are eyeing 1999 as the year

they make their impact on the women's game.

The pair will compete in an exhibition tournament the Super Power

Challenge tomorrow at Victoria Park, which also features former

World No 1 Germany's Steffi Graf and Russia's Anna Kournikova.

Also in the tournament's line-up are Hong Kong's Tong Ka-po and

Lillian Lin Ning in doubles action.

The exhibition will also serve as a warm-up for this month's

Australian Open.

More notably it will see younger sister Serena trying to establish her

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own credentials.

Ranked 20th in the world and a year younger, Serena, 17, has what it

takes to become a force of her own.

She chalked up mixed doubles triumphs at last year's Wimbledon and US

Open.

Venus, on the other hand, is ranked fifth and holds the women's world

record power serve 200 kilometres per hour.

Serena believes she can outdo her older sister.

"That (two titles) gave me the confidence. I feel I'm getting

stronger all the time and I'm just feeling extremely good right now,"

Serena said.

"I really think this is going to be my year and that I can break

through into the top level.

"I thank my sister for some of that. She's been an inspiration."

Venus hinted that she would not treat tomorrow's exhibition as

anything other than serious. "My responsibility is to play my best

and to be my best at what I do. I want to win every match," she said.


> -------------------------------------------------------------------------- <



Thai felled as Serena books semi-final slot

Edward Passos

Friday, January 08, 1999

Serena Williams marched into the semi-finals of the women's

Super-Power Challenge Cup with a comprehensive, 6-2, 6-1, win over

Thailand's Tamarine Tanasugarn at Victoria Park last night.

The 50-minute victory was a one-sided affair as the 17-year-old

American blasted her way to set up a semi-final showdown against

former world No 1 Steffi Graf of Germany this evening.

"I have never played Steffi before," said Williams, 20th in the

world.

"Steffi has a great forehand, she's a good mover, she's a great

athlete.

"I'll have to be ready. I'll have to play a little better than I did

today. Make less errors and maybe start out there a little bit more

warm."

The younger half of the famous Williams sisters is well aware of

Graf's vast armory.

However, Williams also has a set of lethal weapons her deadly

powerful serve, displayed yesterday when she clocked a 200 kph rocket.

"My personal high was a 194 kph so I am really trying to catch up

with (older sister) Venus," Serena said.

"She is 205, which is really amazing. It will be at least another

year to get there.

"It's good that I know that I can actually reach those speeds

consistently, so that's great."

Tanasugarn was overawed by Williams' game, which included five aces

and a couple of drop shots thrown in for good measure.

"I was trying to play my best and improve my games and try to play

more into the net, but today (last night) Serena played better," she

said.

"Even when I played aggressively into the net, Serena was able to

pass me."

In the bottom half of the draw, Russian's Anna Kournikova outpaced

China's No 1 Li Fang, 6-1, 6-4, in an encounter which lasted 58

minutes.

The Russian star will face Venus Williams on centre court tonight.


> -------------------------------------------------------------------------- <



Graf storms through to face Venus in final

Candy Lee and agencies

Saturday, January 09, 1999

STEFFI Graf stormed into the final of the women's Super Power

Challenge where she will face Venus Williams this afternoon.

The German former world No 1 ousted Serena Williams from the

tournament last night at Victoria Park.

Graf, currently ranked nine in the world, blasted Williams away in

straight sets, 6-2, 7-6.

"I was feeling very good out there. Especially in the first set, I

really went for my shots," Graf, who has won 21 Grand Slam titles,

said.

"In the second set it got closer, she served much better. There were

longer rallies and I think it was a good, close second set.

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Graf warned that Venus Williams could be in for a tough match in

today's final on Centre Court.

"I feel pretty strong, especially in the last few weeks. I've been

able to train very well in the United States and I haven't had any

physical problems since September's wrist surgery," Graf said.

Looking back at her match against Serena, Graf said: "She's certainly

very strong and she goes for her shots.

"She puts you under pressure constantly. But she needs a little

patience".

Serena said she was not consistent enough to beat Graf.

"I am not in the groove just yet," Serena said. "My backhand was

not on fire and I just could not do it against Steffi.

Despite the defeat, Serena, No 20, said she was confident of making it

into the world top five before the end of the year.

"My goal is to reach the top five or better before the end of the

year," she said.

Serena's elder sister Venus had little difficulty in ousting Russian

star Anna Kournikova in a later semi-final last night.

Venus, No 5, powered to a, 6-4, 6-3, win over the 13th ranked Russian.

The International Tennis Federation admitted yesterday it could not

stop Petr Korda defending his Australian Open crown this month even

though it will seek to have him banned for a drug failure.

An ITF spokesman said the governing body would lodge an appeal against

the punishment decided for Korda last month after the Czech player

tested positive for the steroid nandrolone at Wimbledon last year. ITF

president Brian Tobin announced the federation would seek a ban for

Korda after leading players condemned the federation's earlier action.

The ITF's London office said it would lodge an appeal with the Court

of Arbitration in Sport before Monday but warned it could take up to

four months before sport's highest court made a ruling.


> -------------------------------------------------------------------------- <



Venus lifts crown as Graf forced to quit

Edward Passos

Sunday, January 10, 1999

A STOMACH ailment forced German star Steffi Graf to retire from the

final of the women's Super-Power Challenge Cup and hand the inaugural

trophy to American Venus Williams at Victoria Park yesterday.

Just 16 minutes into the final, with the first-set score tied at 2-2,

Graf, after speaking to Williams at the net, went to German chair

umpire Jochen Knobel and asked to withdraw.

Graf was whisked off to the women's changing room where she spent more

than an hour before leaving for her hotel.

The incident may jeopardise Graf's hopes of starting the season in

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good health at the Australian Open later this month.

Tournament director, Brian Catton spoke on behalf of the former World

No 1.

Catton said: "The doctor who examined her . . . has diagnosed she is

suffering from gastric virus or gastric flu.

"Despite her very valiant efforts to start and complete the match,

she felt she was just unable to do so as she was experiencing very

severe stomach pains and she hasn't been able to eat very much or

sleep."

Williams while disappointed at not playing Graf said she would

have ample chances in the future to take on the former World No 1.

"I suppose the opportunity will be there in the future . . . I will

have the opportunity again," she said.

With Graf out of action, Williams was crowned the tournament's

champion, but organisers were quick to organise a friendly match

between Venus Williams and Russian sensation, Anna Kournikova which

Williams won 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.

The friendly went some way to compensating for fans' disappointment.

Kournikova then teamed up with Thailand's Tamarine Tanasugarn to beat

Serena Williams and China's Li Fang, in the doubles final. Meanwhile,

the Williams sisters are planning to set up a youth organisation

called "TUFF ACT" (Total Understanding, Freedom and Friendship

through American/Chinese Tennis), targeting five secondary schools in

China and one in Hong Kong to exchange culture and lifestyles with

their American counterparts.