Djokovic, Venus headline China Open

Venus Williams

Photo: AFP

World number two Novak Djokovic and American superstar Venus Williams are headed to Beijing for the China Open, an event that will bring many of the world's top tennis players to town from Saturday.

Both the ATP and WTA tours have made the hard-court tournament, which runs through October 10, a key part of their long-term strategies for growing the game in the vast nation.

While the sport's dominant duo Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are scheduled to play in Shanghai in mid-October, they have opted out of the Beijing event, clearing the way for Djokovic to defend the title he won last year.

The 23-year-old Serb, who this month helped his country secure a spot in the Davis Cup final against France, will face a tough challenge from Britain's Andy Murray, who has been out of action since a third-round loss at the US Open.

Seven of the world's top 10 men will compete in the Chinese capital including French Open runner-up Robin Soderling of Sweden, Wimbledon finalist Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic and Russian veteran Nikolay Davydenko.

Djokovic is taking nothing for granted. On his website, he said he would "face a big challenge during the next few weeks" with three titles to defend -- Beijing, Basel and Paris -- before the season-ending championships in London.

On the women's side, the draw lost some serious star power with the withdrawals of world number one Serena Williams and US Open champion Kim Clijsters, both recovering from foot injuries.

"I am very sorry to have to cancel for Beijing," the 27-year-old Clijsters said on her website, adding there was "no doubt" that she would be ready for the season-ending WTA championships in Doha.

Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki, currently number two in the WTA rankings, will be the top-ranked woman in Beijing, while Williams' sister Venus, a seven-time Grand Slam winner and world number three, will be her main challenger.

Also in hot pursuit of the title will be on-form Russian Vera Zvonareva, who has climbed to a career-high number four in the rankings after finishing runner-up to Clijsters at Flushing Meadows.

Last year's winner, Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova, will be looking to bounce back after crashing out of the Pan Pacific Open in Japan this week in straight sets to unheralded German Andrea Petkovic.

Her compatriot Maria Sharapova also will be looking for redemption after being unceremoniously dumped from the Tokyo event in the first round by Japanese veteran Kimiko Date Krumm, who turned 40 on Tuesday.

Serbian number six Jelena Jankovic -- who has had good luck in Beijing, reaching the final in 2007 and winning the title in 2008 -- will be eager to perform well after falling to Estonia's Kaia Kanepi in Tokyo.

The China Open is played at the National Tennis Centre. The women's main draw gets under way on Saturday and the men's on Monday.

The following is a preliminary list of seeds:

Men

Novak Djokovic (SRB x1)

Andy Murray (GBR x2)

Robin Soderling (SWE x3)

Nikolay Davydenko (RUS x4)

Tomas Berdych (CZE x5)

Fernando Verdasco (ESP x6)

Mikhail Youzhny (RUS x7)

David Ferrer (RUS x8)

Women

Caroline Wozniacki (DEN x1)

Venus Williams (USA x2)

Vera Zvonareva (RUS x3)

Jelena Jankovic (SRB x4)

Samantha Stosur (AUS x5)

Francesca Schiavone (ITA x6)

Agnieszka Radwanska (POL x7)

Elena Dementieva (RUS x8)

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Favorite Clijsters prepares for Zvonareva's best

Kim Clijsters (L) of Belgium is congratulated by Venus Williams of the US after winning their match at the US Open tennis tournament in New York September 10, 2010

Photo: Reuters

If winning the US Open ever came down to a popularity contest, Kim Clijsters would be roared to victory every time.

The Belgian mother charmed the New York crowds last year when she celebrated an unlikely victory by fooling around with her infant daughter Jada on the center court.

Clijsters has won the hearts of the crowds again this year, despite reaching Saturday's final at the expense of the last American left standing in the singles draw, Venus Williams.

The 27-year-old came from behind to win 4-6 7-6 6-4 on Friday and will play Vera Zvonereva in the final after the Russian upset Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki 6-4 6-3.

She is sure to be the favorite both the odds makers and the spectators in the stands.

She was a finalist at the US Open in 2004 then won the title in 2005. She missed the next three years, first through injury then after taking a break to start a family, before winning on her return in 2009.

Her winning streak now stands at 20 matches and the crowds have been lapping it up. It is as though her fairytale run to the title last year is being played out all over again.

The former world number one knows, however, that sentiment plays no part in professional tennis and her Russian opponent is dangerous, despite never having won a major title.

This year Zvonareva played her first grand slam final at Wimbledon and she has not dropped a set so far at Flushing Meadows. More worryingly for Clijsters, Zvonareva has won their last two clashes, both this year, after losing the first five.

Smart player

"She's a player who doesn't give you much,” Clijsters said. “She's always there, hangs in there."

"It's not that she has a game that's very unpredictable but what she does she does extremely well."

The seventh-seeded Zvonareva is not only one of the most improved players on the women's tour, she is also one of the smartest.

She combines her playing career with studying for a double degree and has learnt her lessons on the court as much as off it.

A year ago, she self-destructed in the quarterfinals in New York. This time, she has been a model of composure.

"As long as you know yourself and you know which emotions are good for you, which are bad, you can use it to your advantage," the 26-year-old said.

"I think that tennis is an emotional game and that you should show your emotions, because it shows that you are trying your best out there."

Although she has won their two most recent clashes, Zvonareva remains wary of the more experienced Clijsters.

"She's a great mover on the court,” Zvonareva said. “She has a lot of experience, she won here last year."

"It's going to be tough. We played a couple of matches in the past couple of months, but those matches are in the past."

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Venus and Clijsters set to renew old rivalry

Venus Williams of the US hits a return to Australia's Jarmila Groth of Australia at the 2010 Wimbledon tennis championships in London, June 28, 2010

Photo: Reuters

A rivalry spanning almost a decade will be rekindled on Friday when Venus Williams and Kim Clijsters square off for a place in the US Open final.

Both players have won the title twice but the stakes could hardly be higher when they meet in the semifinals at Flushing Meadows. The winner will play either Caroline Wozniacki or Vera Zvonareva, who meet in the other semi, in Saturday's final in Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Williams, who won the championship in 2000 and 2001, has not made the final in New York since 2002, when the American lost to her younger sister Serena, while Clijsters is trying to defend the title she won last year.

With Serena missing through injury this year, Venus has opted out of the doubles to focus on singles and her form so far has been illuminating, advancing to the last four without dropping a single set.

"I've always played pretty well here," said Venus. "I feel really comfortable here, and it's great to come back to a place where I have won and a place where I've played well.”

“So all in all, I feel positive."

Clijsters also has a great record at Flushing Meadows, winning her last 19 matches in New York. She won the title for the first time in 2005 but was injured then took a break to start a family.

The Belgian completed a fairytale return to New York when she won last season, celebrating her victory on court with her infant daughter, and says her unexpected success last year has provided her with the confidence she can do it again.

"It's something that you have to experience, obviously," she said. "I guess it's maybe like having a baby.”

“You can't explain it to somebody who has never had a baby what it's like to give birth, because it's a feeling that you can't describe unless it's happened to you."

The pair have played each other 12 times since 2001, winning six times each. Williams was the dominant player in their earlier clashes but Clijsters has won the last four, including a classic three-setter at last year's US Open quarterfinals.

"It was really close,” Williams said. “I'm sure that match made a big difference for her, because she went on to win the title."

"I'm sure we'll have another really good matchup but I'd like to kind of flip the way it turns out."

Wozniacki, promoted to the top seed this year because of the absence of world number one Serena, made the final against Clijsters in 2009 but is a more confident player now.

The 20-year-old won three lead-up events last month to finish as the leading point scorer in the US hard court series. If she wins the US Open she will collect a bonus cash prize of US$1 million and replace Serena atop the world rankings.

The Dane has sailed through her matches without dropping a set and developed a killer's instinct to finish off her opponents quickly.

"I'm really competitive," she said. "I really don't like losing."

The pair have played each other just four times before, all in the last two seasons, splitting them two apiece.

Zvonareva, six years older than Wozniacki, has taken longer to hit her straps and will be appearing in her first US Open semifinal, but the seventh-seeded Russian is now flush with confidence after reaching the Wimbledon final in July.

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Nadal, Clijsters move on at US Open

Top seed Rafael Nadal of Spain returns a shot to Gilles Simon of France during the US Open in New York

Photo: AFP

Andy Murray was a major casualty at the US Open on Sunday but Rafael Nadal stormed through as did Kim Clijsters and Venus Williams in the women's tournament.

The 23-year-old Scot was out of sorts against Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka and his challenge to Nadal and Roger Federer ended in a crushing 6-7 (3/7), 7-6 (7/4), 6-3, 6-3 loss.

"He played better than me. There's not a whole lot more to it," the defeated fourth seed said.

"He had a chance to win the first set; didn't take it. I had a chance to win the second set; didn't take it. I just struggled from then on."

Nadal led a Spanish charge with five of their number making it through to the eight fourth-round slots available in the top half of the draw.

The others were eighth seed Fernando Verdasco, 10th seed David Ferrer, 23rd seed Feliciano Lopez and the unseeded Tommy Robredo.

Nadal takes on Lopez and Verdasco goes up against Ferrer in the first quarter, making it certain there will be at least one Spaniard in the semi-finals.

The top seed was never troubled against France's Gilles Simon, winning 6-4, 6-4, 6-2, and he has yet to drop a set in three matches.

"I am in fourth round. That's good news for me - without losing a set - but there remains a lot to do. I am happy where I am, but is only fourth round," Nadal said.

Others through to the last 16 in the top half were US hope Sam Querrey, who defeated Nicolas Almagro of Spain 6-3, 6-4, 6-4, and Russia's Mikhail Youzhny who edged American John Isner 6-4, 6-7 (7/9), 7-6 (7/5), 6-4.

Wawrinka next plays Querrey and Youzhny takes on Robredo.

In the women's tournament, defending champion Kim Clisters won the billed match of the day, trouncing former world number one Ana Ivanovic 6-2, 6-1, a victory that was her 18th in a row at Flushing Meadows.

Clijsters was the first player through to the quarter-finals and there she will face Australian fifth seed Samantha Stosur, who ousted Russian 12th seed Elena Dementieva 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (7/2).

The Belgian second seed said she quickly adapting to the breezy morning conditions on the Arthur Ashe Centre Court.

"With the wind you have to adjust," she said. "I started moving forward, dictating the points better. I was playing good defense as well."

The other quarter-final in the bottom half of the draw sees French Open champion Francesca Schiavone go up against third seed and former champion Venus Williams.

Williams, the last woman to win back-to-back titles here in 2001, saw off a strong early challenge from Israeli 16th seed Shahar Peer before winning 7-6 (7/3), 6-3.

Schiavone topped Russian 2Oth seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-3, 6-0 with her finest display of tennis since winning her maiden Grand Slam title in Paris in June.

Playing against Venus Williams will be a much different prospect for the Italian, however, as she has lost all seven matches they have played to date.

The American, though, said she would not be over-confident.

"We've had some tough matches. She's definietly had some chances to win against me," Williams said. "Obviously her game is better than ever now."

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