Venus hobbles as Wozniacki, Henin breeze through

Venus Williams of the US hits a shot to Sandra Zahlavova of the Czech Republic at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne January 19, 2011

Photo: Reuters

Venus Williams hobbled while Caroline Wozniacki and Justine Henin cantered Wednesday but all three reached the third round of an Australian Open where upsets continue to be thin on the ground.

Williams, returning to action here for the first time since last year's US Open, was severely hampered by what appeared to be a groin problem but still managed to scramble a 6-7 6-0 6-4 victory over world number 97 Sandra Zahlavova.

The seven-times grand slam winner took a medical timeout after losing the first set tiebreak and then gritted her teeth and summoned up her wealth of experience to grind out a victory in a shade over three hours.

"It was really tough," Williams, flying the family flag alone this year in the absence of injured 2010 champion Serena. "But I'm a long way from home. It's such a long way home and I didn't want to go back yet.

"You've got to be able play in all circumstances -- good, bad strange, weird, bizarre. I haven't retired from a match in a long time. I have to go to the bitter end."

Top women's seed Wozniacki earlier looked in fine fettle as she took just 58 minutes to overpower American Vania King 6-1 6-0, continuing an impressive start to her attempt to vindicate her number one ranking with a first grand slam title.

Wozniacki's win set up a third round opportunity to avenge her loss last week in Sydney to Slovakia's Dominika Cibulova, who advanced with a 6-1 4-6 6-2 win over Italian Alberta Brianti.

"I definitely felt like I was playing good tennis today," 20-year-old Wozniacki said, adding: "I believe that I'm a really good player, I can beat anyone on a good day."

Henin was shaking hands with the umpire on Rod Laver Arena moments after Wozniacki clinched her win, having put Briton Elena Baltacha to the sword 6-1 6-3.

Seeded a lowly 11th, Henin was still feeling the elbow injury that kept her out of the game for six months last year and said the unseasonably low temperatures had not helped.

Unhelpful weather

"It's the worst conditions actually," said Henin, the 2004 champion at Melbourne Park. "The weather doesn't help, that's for sure. So I wasn't feeling at my best on this part today.

"But I have to deal with it and get ready, be focused on your game, even if it's not easy. But I did a good job about that."

Twice grand slam winner Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia, a 6-1 6-4 winner over Dutch qualifier Arantxa Rus, stands in Henin's path to the fourth round.

France's 15th seed Marion Bartoli was beaten 3-6 6-3 6-0 by Vesna Manasieva of Russia but 2009 champion Maria Sharapova survived an early scare to rally to a 7-6 6-3 victory over Virginie Razzano in another Franco-Russian encounter.

Maria Sharapova of Russia reacts in her match against Virginie Razzano of France at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne January 19, 2011 (Photo: Reuters)

In the men's draw, former world number five Tommy Robredo also registered something of an upset with a 1-6 6-3 6-3 6-3 victory over American 16th seed Mardy Fish.

Robredo's fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco faced an early exit but made a great escape by coming back from two sets down and saving a match point in the fourth set on his way to a 2-6 4-6 6-4 7-6 6-0 win over Serbian Janko Tipsarevic.

"I kept fighting all the time, because I was really close to losing today," said the ninth seed. "I think that just my mentality was one of the biggest keys to my comeback today."

Thomas Berdych also had to fight back after losing the first set to German Philipp Kohlschreiber but the sixth seeded Czech found his range and ran out a comfortable 4-6 6-2 6-3 6-4 winner.

Defending champion Roger Federer makes his second appearance of the tournament against Frenchman Gilles Simon in the evening session on Rod Laver Arena.

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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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Serena Williams pulls out of US Open

Serena Williams waves to the crowd after she withdrew from her semifinal match against Elena Dementieva of Russia due to a knee injury at the Paris Open tennis tournament February 14, 2009

Serena Williams has pulled out of the US Open because she is still recovering from surgery on her right foot, the American world number one said on Friday.

Williams, who won her 13th grand slam at Wimbledon earlier this year, cut her foot on broken glass at a restaurant in July and has not played since.

"It is with much frustration and deep sadness that I am having to pull out of the US Open," Williams said on the tournament's website (http://www.usopen.org/). "My doctors have advised against my playing so that my foot can heal."

A three-time winner at Flushing Meadows, Williams absence will be a blow to US title hopes with her sister Venus, the world number five, the only other American ranked in the top 40.

With Belgian Justine Henin announcing on Wednesday she would not be fit to play in the US Open and defending champion Kim Clijsters losing in Montreal after an injury scare, the year's final grand slam is shaping up as a wide open affair.

Last year, Serena Williams had to withdraw from her semifinal match against Elena Dementieva of Russia at the Paris Open tennis tournament due to a knee injury.

"There are still so many other big names out there who can do well," said Clijsters, who promised to be in Flushing Meadows to defend her crown despite a nagging hip injury that will require an MRI next week.

"Serena and Justine are two big names but there are plenty more out there,” she said.

"I don't look at the draw in that kind of way and I just focus on my matches and obviously now I am trying to be in the best shape possible to compete."

A fan favorite and television ratings grabber, Williams is sure to be missed especially after her explosive and controversial exit from last year's event.

Called for a foot fault in her semifinal against Clijsters, Williams exploded in an ugly outburst threatening a line judge during a confrontation that ultimately cost her the match.

"It doesn't change much," said Russian Vera Zvonareva, who lost to Williams in the Wimbledon final in early July.

"Serena is a great player and is great to watch but there are so many great players, it's still going to be very tough for everyone."

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