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Age no barrier for Pierce and Likhovtseva

Wednesday, June 1, 2005

Seasoned campaigners Mary Pierce and Elena Likhovtseva battle for a place in the final of the French Open Thursday. The French former champ is just over 30, and the unfancied Russian a few months short, making the duo the oldest Grand Slam semi-final pairing since Martina Navratilova and Gigi Fernandez, at Wimbledon in 1994.

2000 champion and 1994 runner-up Mary Pierce is all set to play her fifth Grand Slam semi, and her third in Paris. The 21-seed has won all four so far, and that stat speaks volumes of the French-American's determination by the time she reaches this stage of a major competition. Pierce has been on a gigantic roll this year. Her quarter-final dismissal of Lindsay Davenport (6-3, 6-2) showed she really has the wind in her sails.

She has only dropped one set so far, against the dangerous Patty Schnyder (, and has spent just 7 hours, 57 minutes on court. Beating the world No. 1 in a Grand Slam does not happen to a French girl every day or even every year (she was the last French player to do so, against Martina Hingis here in 2000). "Mary got off to a flyer and I just wasn't able to stop her," said Davenport after the match. "I was flying like an eagle," said Pierce somewhat poetically.

Providing her strapped ankle and left thigh hold up, eagle-eyed Mary obviously intends preying on a nervous Russian in their semi-final.

It would, after all, be only natural for 16-seed Elena Likhovtseva to feel the pressure as she prepares to compete in her first-ever Grand Slam semi. She has 46 Grand Slam tournament appearances behind her, and has only ever reached the quarters twice before.

The third round was her best placing previously at the French, so it goes without saying that Likhovtseva has exceeded all expectations this year. She confessed to falling foul of her nerves before overcoming teen sensation Sesil Karatantcheva in her quarter-final: "Throughout the first set I wasn't really on the court. It was my first-ever singles match on centre court." But the lady from Kazakhstan, trailing 6-2, 4-3 and a break, was able to call on her greater maturity to fight back.

Her win over fourth seed Elena Dementieva was a ding-dong battle over three hours and there too she showed her mettle to progress. Whether she has the self-belief to overturn Pierce, who will be playing in front of a hugely supportive home crowd, remains to be seen.

"Elena has beaten some good players. She's confident and playing well. She's moving well and taking the game to her opponent, so I'm expecting a really tough match. I need to take charge early" was Pierce's analysis of the match. The French woman will wind up her booming groundstrokes and set to work on blasting Likhovtseva off the court. Pierce's returns of Davenport's second serve were particularly devastating in the last round.

She won 71% of the points off the American's second ball and another bunch from the net, where she rounds off rallies efficiently. Above all though, her greater experience should work in her favour. There is nothing quite like a Grand Slam semi, and Mary's perfect record is a huge psychological advantage.

Fatigue could come into the equation should the match last three sets, but here again the stats work in Pierce's favour. Likhovtseva has spent 10 hours, 17 minutes on court so far, and is carrying a hip injury, too. Having said all that, the least-known of the eight top Russians on the tour has been everyone's underdog for a few rounds already, and insists she is optimistic about her chances: "I'll probably be less tense than in the quarter-final. I've beaten Mary a few times already, and even if she beat me last time, I know all about her game."

The two have met nine times already, with Pierce edging it 5-4. The most telling of those wins was the most recent, a 6-2, 6-2 drubbing she handed out to the Russian in the first round in Berlin.

Translation: David Tutton (Sportstranslations)

[Vardan]

Explosive Puerta shows Canas the door

Wednesday, June 1, 2005

Mariano Puerta unleashed a string of ferocious winners here Wednesday to post the biggest triumph of his career. His five set win over fellow Argentine Guillermo Canas sees him head into the last four of a Grand Slam for the first time ever.

The 26-year-old unseeded Puerta overcame a two-set to one deficit to grind down his 27-year-old friend 6-2, 3-6, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 in three hours and 35 minutes on Court Philippe Chatrier.

"It was an incredible experience. It was an emotional win," Puerta said. "This was my first time playing on Center Court. The atmosphere was great."

Puerta awaits the winner of the contest between No15 seed Spaniard Tommy Robredo and Russian Nikolay Davydenko, the No12 seed, to be played later on Wednesday.

This was Puerta's first Grand Slam since the 2003 US Open. He served a nine-month ban for testing positive for clenbuterol at the 2003 Vina del Mar ATP tournament in Chile and only returned to the tour in July 2004. By that time his ranking had skydived to a career low of 440.

A pumped-up Puerta came out firing here, dictating play with his wicked forehand. He soon had his countryman sprinting from side to side and guessing on every point.

The 37-ranked underdog broke in the second and fourth game to go up 5-0 and concluded the speedy first set two games later in 30 minutes when Canas committed yet another unforced error - his sixteenth of the set.

Canas, ranked 10th, looked physically spent and came out flat, unable to find secure footing as he was constantly pushed back by the southpaw's heavy top-spin drives.

But never count an Argentine out, especially the feisty Canas who escaped defeat by the skin of his teeth in the third-round against Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu after a five-hour battle during which he saved two match points en route to victory.

Canas found his aim in the second and swung the tide back in his favour. His patience paid dividends too, as he took his opponent's serve two times (seventh and ninth game) to restore parity.

He then skipped out to a 5-1 third set lead and snatched the third set in a cakewalk as Puerta began to run out of gas.

Now it was Puerta's time to turn the tables. He broke Canas in the sixth game, opening up the court with inside-out forehand bullets to jump ahead 5-2, and evened things out two games later to force a decider.

The Argentines traded blows like two raging bulls in the fifth. Puerta was in full attacking mode while Canas relentlessly kept chasing every ball down.

A red-hot Puerta broke Canas in the fifth game to go up 4-2 and maintained his advantage en route to his upset victory but not before Canas gave one last fight.

He staved off a first match point following a nerve-racking rally, punctuated by an incredible cross-court forehand. On the second, Canas unleashed a blistering forehand passing shot that made his compatriot stumble.

Puerta secured a third match point and finally emerged victorious when Canas committed a fatal last error.

[Vardan]

Majestic Federer closes in on Parisian crown

Tuesday, May 31, 2005

Top-ranked Roger Federer took another step closer towards the Roland Garros title on Tuesday following his straight set whitewash of unheralded Romanian Victor Hanescu to storm into the last four for the first time ever.

The 23-year-old world No1 played like slick tennis to outclass his 23-year-old unseeded opponent 6-2, 7-6 (3), 6-3 in just over two hours on Court Philippe Chatrier.

"Today I can be pleased. This was one of my best matches ever here," said the Swiss stylist who gunned down seven aces, cracked an astounding 56 winners to Hanescu's 17 while committing 36 mistakes.

Federer, who has yet to drop a set in the tournament, is now just two matches away from unlocking the secret of success on clay here and making history as the sixth man to capture all four Grand Slam titles.

He enters uncharted territory in the semi finals and is slated to meet young teenage standout Rafael Nadal, the only man who has looked capable of sending the Swiss packing.

The Spanish No4 seed disciplined countryman David Ferrer in straight sets later on Tuesday.

"Everybody's been looking forward a little bit to this one, both of us being for the first time in the semi finals of a French Open," explained Federer. "So it's going to be really interesting to see. For me, it's a big moment. It's one of those chances to maybe walk away with the title here."

"I have now two days ahead of me to ponder over things and see what can happen for the future, and I hope to be in great shape for that match against Nadal," he added.

The Swiss, who is making his seventh appearance here having played every year since making his Grand Slam debut as a wild card in 1999, made a ragged start, committing seven unforced errors in seven minutes. But once his game settled in, the all-court genius was simply irresistible, breaking a hapless Hanescu in the third and seventh game to secure the first set.

In the second set, the 90-ranked Romanian, the lowest-ranked quarter finalist here since 100-ranked Ukrainian Andrei Medvedev and 140-ranked Uruguayan Marcelo Filipini made it to the same stage in 1999, stood strong and did not crack under the relentless pressure despite conceding his serve in the third game.

The feisty Hanescu broke right back for the first time of the match and grew in confidence as the match progressed, planting gorgeous one-handed backhands down-the-line to go up 5-4.

Federer pressed Hanescu in the eleventh game but squandered two break point opportunities to take the lead. The Swiss maintained his composure and ran away with the second set tie-breaker.

In the third set, the four-time Grand Slam champion took it up another notch to go up 5-1 as Hanescu simply ran out of steam. Up 40-15 on his serve, Federer failed to capitalize on his two match points as he double faulted three-times to concede his serve before finally putting out his opponent for good in the ninth game on his fourth match point.

"It was an awkward moment," Federer said of his double-faulting. "It didn't happen to me for a long long time. I was too much in my zone. I was so happy the way I was playing, and making my first semi-finals appearance that I got a little overexcited there, I guess, just for a couple of minutes", he added.

"I'm really hitting my shots beautiful. My forehand was working like I wanted it to work. Suddenly you serve two doubles and you don't feel so good anymore. I think the last time I double faulted three times was in the satellites. That was eight years ago."

[Vardan]

Nadia and Justine, 23 and counting

Wednesday, June 1, 2005

Twenty-three is the magic number for Justine Henin-Hardenne and Nadia Petrova, who face each other in the French Open semi-final Thursday. Justine celebrated her 23rd birthday yesterday, while Nadia reaches the same milestone next Wednesday. The number has added significance for the Belgian former champion, as she will be looking to secure her 23rd straight win - and a place in the final - against the tall Russian.

Henin-Hardenne's 2005 French Open campaign has been a memorable one already, and for that reason alone one is tempted to believe she is fated to win the title. The 2003 champion initially looked out of sorts and struggled in her first three matches. Svetlana Kuznetsova then had two match points against her in the fourth round, but the brilliant Belgian saved them both and won 7-5 in the fifth.

That proved the turning point, for she came out a different player in the quarters against second seed Maria Sharapova and cruised to a 6-4, 6-2 victory. "I will be very surprised if she doesn't win the title. Providing she maintains that standard of play she is in with a great chance," said Wimbledon champion Sharapova after her defeat. Henin-Hardenne came into the French on the back of wins in Charleston, Warsaw and Berlin, so her initial struggle with her form was a surprise. If, as it appears, her A-game is back, seven-seed Nadia Petrova will have her work cut out.

Petrova's form is not in doubt. She has been consistently dominant so far, with compatriot Elena Bovina providing the only stiff opposition. Bovina won a set, but Petrova's other opponents have won a meagre four games per match on average. Nadia has one of the best and strongest serves on the women's tour and an all-around game that makes her comfortable on all surfaces, especially clay.

This is her second French Open semi-final. She lost to Kim Clijsters in 2003 after losing a set point. The Russian has matured nicely since: "On clay it's difficult to play fast. You have to build points and start patient because it isn't easy to hit winners straight off."

After her marathon 3 hour, 14 minute match with Kuznetsova, many thought Justine would find it hard against Sharapova, especially as she has been suffering back pains all tournament long. Henin-Hardenne's demolition of the world #2 now has people saying she has done the hard part, an argument that the Belgian is quick to refute: "I don't think the hardest part is done. Nadia will be a very tough opponent. I think I can beat her but I want to keep my focus."

Petrova has spent less time on court than her adversary (7 hours, 34 minutes), but does not possess quite the armoury or the variety of shots that made Henin-Hardenne such a worthy world No1. "I'm trying to play my tennis, mix things up and have fun," says Justine, who readily admits that her battle with a virus last year and her injuries have toughened her up.

Nadia Petrova has yet to win a major title, and until she does so will remain an underdog against the former champs on the circuit. Her game has really come on though, especially from playing a lot of doubles (she won the Masters doubles title at the end of last season). Her net play, unsurprisingly, has improved the most and that is an area where she will need to dominate Justine.

In seven previous encounters, Petrova has only won once, but that was in a Grand Slam, at last year's US Open (6-3, 6-2 in the last sixteen). Henin-Hardenne has won the other six, including in the semi-final in Berlin recently (6-3, 4-6, 6-3).

Translation: David Tutton (Sportstranslations)

Edited June 1, 2005 by Vardan

[Vardan]

Davydenko outlasts Robredo for SF berth

Wednesday, June 1, 2005

Seventy-eight unforced errors, six double-faults and a late resurgence from Tommy Robredo could not keep Nickolay Davydenko from the first Grand Slam semi-final of his career Wednesday evening.

A day before his 24th birthday, Davydenko built a two-sets-to-one lead as Robredo sleep-walked through the early portions of the match, only to see the Spaniard charge back to force a fifth set. But the Russian finally closed him out on his fourth match point for a 3-6 6-1 6-2 4-6 6-4 victory in three hours, 18 minutes on Court Philippe Chatrier.

"Feeling is…I don't know," said an exhausted Davydenko. "Like, after the match is like really tired. No feeling.

"Tomorrow I have birthday, 24, and we'll see. Tomorrow okay, no match."

Davydenko failed in his only other attempt to reach a major semi earlier this year at the Australian Open. Down in the third set to Andy Roddick, he was forced to retire because of breathing problems stemming from the intense heat.

And it looked like he might falter once again on Wednesday. He easily took the second and third sets as Robredo played listless and careless tennis, but allowed the 15-seed to hang around in the fourth when he did not hold up a break at 4-3. At 4-5, consecutive errors cost him another service game and the set, and Robredo was back in the match to stay.

In the fifth, Davydenko squandered an early break to let the 23-year-old off the hook again. When he could not convert three match points returning at 5-3, Robredo still had a pulse. And that pulse got stronger when back-to-back errors left him one point from 5-all.

But finally, on match point number four, Davydenko got his win on a rushed, over-hit backhand down the line from Robredo.

"[The] key, it was fighting, fighting. Like try to get every ball," Davydenko said. "Just try to do something what you can do because Robredo play well from baseline."

Davydenko will move into the Top 10 for the first time ever Monday when the new rankings come out after his tenth straight victory and the 14th out of his last 15 matches.

Robredo, meanwhile, possibly still feeling the effects of his five-set upset of Marat Safin two days ago, committed 85 unforced errors and provided Davydenko with 29 break points. His shot selection was often ill advised, especially on drop shots, and the emotion which carried him at times against Safin was non-existent until the fifth set.

"I have to see all the tournament, not just one day," said Robredo, who was also trying to reach his first career Slam semi. "I'm playing a lot of better and doing great matches. I did a great tournament here anyway."

Friday, in his first Grand Slam final four, Davydenko faces Argentine Mariano Puerta, a five-set winner as well Wednesday. The two played in Hamburg in mid-May with the Russian winning in straight sets.

[Vardan]

01 июня 2005, 18:08

Каньяс проигрывает несеянному Пуэрто в четвертьфинале «Ролан Гаррос»

Девятый сеянный на «Ролан Гаррос» аргентинец Гильермо Каньяс уступил своем не имевшему номера посева соотечественнику Мариано Пуэрто в предпоследнем четвертьфинальном матче. Таким образом, в случае победы россиянина Николая Давыденко над Томми Робредо, в полуфинале он будет встречаться именно с Пуэрто.

Открытый чемпионат Франции. Париж (Франция). Призовой фонд 13 459 125 евро

Мужчины

Четвертьфинал

Мариано Пуэрто (Аргентина) – Гильермо Каньяс (Аргентина, 9) – 6:2, 3:6, 1:6, 6:3, 6:4

[Vardan]

01 июня 2005, 21:49

Давыденко отомстил за Сафина и вышел в свой первый полуфинал Большого Шлема

В среду в четвертьфинале «Ролан Гаррос» россиянин Николай Давыденко взял реванш у Томми Робредо за своего соотечественника Марата Сафина, которого испанец выбил из розыгрыша этапом раньше. В изматывающем пятисетовом матче, продолжавшемся более трех часов, российскому теннисисту удалось закончить встречу в свою пользу лишь с четвертого матчбола.

Стоит отметить, что нынешний сезон для Николая Давыденко складывается как никогда удачно. За четыре года участия в турнирах Большого Шлема россиянин главным образом завершал свое выступление в первых или вторых раундах, лишь единожды попав в третий круг на US Open 2004. В сезоне 2005 Давыденко уже побывал в четвертьфинале открытого чемпионата Австралии, а теперь добавил к этому полуфинал «Ролан Гаррос».

Соперником двенадцатого сеянного Давыденко в полуфинале будет аргентинец Мариано Пуэрто, не имеющий номера посева, что оставляет российским болельщикам почву для оптимизма.

Другим поводом для оптимистичных прогнозов может считаться то, что Давыденко уже побеждал Пуэрто в этом году на турнире в Гамбурге. Примечательно, что это была их первая и последняя встреча.

Открытый чемпионат Франции. Париж (Франция)

Мужчины

Четвертьфинал

Николай Давыденко (Россия, 12) – Томми Робредо (Испания, 15) - 3:6, 6:1, 6:2, 4:6, 6:4

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Игру я не смотрела, но в этом сезоне Давыденко действительно играет достойно, так что я не удивлюсь если он попадет в финал !

[Vardan]

[Vardan]

Henin-Hardenne, Pierce to Play for Top Prize in Paris

Two former champions will duke it out on Saturday in order to claim a second women's singles title at Roland Garros. 2003 winner Justine Henin-Hardenne and 2000 champion Mary Pierce have survived the field of 128 in order to play for the title in Paris.

Henin-Hardenne moved into the championship match with a 62 63 victory against No.7 seed Nadia Petrova, while Pierce quickly sailed into Saturday's finale with a 61 61 route of No.16 seed Elena Likhovtseva.

[Vardan]

See Here

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