Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
JOHN PYE
Associated Press
MELBOURNE, Australia - Serena Williams relied on her greatest attribute to reach the Australian Open semifinals.
"I am the ultimate competitor," the former No. 1 player said.
Williams overcame an error-strewn first set and a back-and-forth deciding set Tuesday to beat 16th-seeded Shahar Peer 3-6, 6-2, 8-6.
"I feel awesome. I'm excited to be out here ... I'm just so happy to be back out here competing," she said after breaking the 19-year-old Peer to finish the match in 2 hours, 34 minutes.
Andy Roddick beat longtime friend and former housemate Mardy Fish 6-2, 6-2, 6-2, making only four unforced errors in the first of the men's quarterfinals.
He could next meet top-ranked Roger Federer, who was playing No. 7 Tommy Robredo in a later quarterfinal.
Roddick beat Federer in an exhibition match before the season's first major, but has lost 11 of their 12 head-to-heads on the ATP Tour.
He would like another chance.
"I would love to play Roger," Roddick said. "I've lost to him a bunch of times. He's a great player, but I feel like I am improving a lot right now."
Don't count Williams out. She said critics should not have knocked her when she was down.
Coming into the season's first major ranked No. 81 after injuries ruined 2006, Williams has won five consecutive matches for the first time since capturing the last of her seven Grand Slam singles titles here in 2005.
"I've got plenty left in the tank," she said. "Definitely ready to create some more carnage."
She made 49 unforced errors and had only 30 winners. But in the end, her experience counted most. Williams converted five of her six break-point chances and fended off 10 of Peer's 13.
Williams next plays 17-year-old Nicole Vaidisova, who beat fellow Czech Lucie Safarova 6-1, 6-4 to reach her second Grand Slam semifinal.
"It's great for Czech tennis to have two in the quarterfinals, one in the semis," the 10th-seeded Vaidisova said. "Of course you don't want to play your friend, but I'm just happy to get through."
The 10th-seeded Vaidisova was the highest-ranked player into the quarterfinals on the bottom half of the draw after Safarova upset defending champion Amelie Mauresmo and Peer ousted No. 3 Svetlana Kuznetsova.
Vaidisova is 0-1 in Grand Slam semifinals, losing to Kuznetsova at the last French Open.
Williams has reached the semis 11 times in majors, and gone on to the finals nine times.
After just two matches at a warmup tournament, Williams' condition was called into question. Yet it was the 25-year-old American who held it together as the match wore on against Peer.
Her win over fifth-seeded Nadia Petrova in the third round was her first over a top 10 player since her last Australian title and she was showing signs of her old form in a straight-sets fourth-round win over 11th-seeded Jelena Jankovic.
What this quarterfinal lacked in skill - the two players combined for 83 unforced errors to 50 winners - it made up for in drama.
Pockets of Israeli fans cheered Peer on every point, while Williams' cheering section was just as vocal.
Williams was sluggish early in sunny but mild conditions and fell behind 3-0 quickly in the first set as Peer went for everything.
But Williams took advantage when Peer lost focus in the second set, when she had only two winners. Serving at 2-2, 15-30, she double-faulted, then committed six consecutive unforced errors.
Williams, urging herself on with shouts of "Come on!" and slaps to her thigh, took the last four games of the set, smacking three of her 11 aces in one game when facing break points.
But the problems continued. Williams faced break points in five of her seven service games in the deciding set. She broke Peer to jump ahead 3-1, only to see the Israeli tie it up at 4-all.
Williams fended off five break points in her next two service games, and Peer flinched for the last time while serving at 6-7.
In the changeover, Williams quickly flicked through a notebook. Whatever she read must have helped. She came out and won it on her first match point when Peer curled a backhand wide.
Top-seeded Maria Sharapova downed No. 22 Vera Zvonareva 7-5, 6-4 Monday and will play another all-Russian match in the quarterfinals after 12th-seeded Ana Chakvetadze beat No. 8 Patty Schnyder 6-4, 6-1.
No. 4 Kim Clijsters and three-time champion Martina Hingis will meet in the quarters here for the second straight year. Clijsters ended Hingis' remarkable comeback in her first major after three years on the sidelines last year, when the former No. 1 player started with a ranking of No. 341.
Rafael Nadal finally got to see how he holds up against a guy who can also beat Federer in a match that started late Monday and finished well after midnight.
He outlasted the 19-year-old Andy Murray, twice rallying from a set down to win 6-7 (3), 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 and reach the quarterfinals.
"It was a very, very, very important match for me, very tough," Nadal said. "Andy was playing at an unbelievable level. He's very smart on court, for sure."
Nadal, who has been ranked No. 2 to Federer every week since July 2005, had to fend off 10 break points in the last two sets.
Federer lost only five of 97 matches last year: Nadal was responsible for four of those - all in finals - and Murray pulled an upset at Cincinnati that ended the Swiss star's 55-match winning streak in North America.
Murray said his narrow loss to Nadal was the best he's ever played, even better than his upset over Federer.
Nadal next faces No. 10 Fernando Gonzalez, who beat fifth-seeded James Blake 7-5, 6-4, 7-6 (4).
Associated Press
MELBOURNE, Australia - Serena Williams relied on her greatest attribute to reach the Australian Open semifinals.
"I am the ultimate competitor," the former No. 1 player said.
Williams overcame an error-strewn first set and a back-and-forth deciding set Tuesday to beat 16th-seeded Shahar Peer 3-6, 6-2, 8-6.
"I feel awesome. I'm excited to be out here ... I'm just so happy to be back out here competing," she said after breaking the 19-year-old Peer to finish the match in 2 hours, 34 minutes.
Andy Roddick beat longtime friend and former housemate Mardy Fish 6-2, 6-2, 6-2, making only four unforced errors in the first of the men's quarterfinals.
He could next meet top-ranked Roger Federer, who was playing No. 7 Tommy Robredo in a later quarterfinal.
Roddick beat Federer in an exhibition match before the season's first major, but has lost 11 of their 12 head-to-heads on the ATP Tour.
He would like another chance.
"I would love to play Roger," Roddick said. "I've lost to him a bunch of times. He's a great player, but I feel like I am improving a lot right now."
Don't count Williams out. She said critics should not have knocked her when she was down.
Coming into the season's first major ranked No. 81 after injuries ruined 2006, Williams has won five consecutive matches for the first time since capturing the last of her seven Grand Slam singles titles here in 2005.
"I've got plenty left in the tank," she said. "Definitely ready to create some more carnage."
She made 49 unforced errors and had only 30 winners. But in the end, her experience counted most. Williams converted five of her six break-point chances and fended off 10 of Peer's 13.
Williams next plays 17-year-old Nicole Vaidisova, who beat fellow Czech Lucie Safarova 6-1, 6-4 to reach her second Grand Slam semifinal.
"It's great for Czech tennis to have two in the quarterfinals, one in the semis," the 10th-seeded Vaidisova said. "Of course you don't want to play your friend, but I'm just happy to get through."
The 10th-seeded Vaidisova was the highest-ranked player into the quarterfinals on the bottom half of the draw after Safarova upset defending champion Amelie Mauresmo and Peer ousted No. 3 Svetlana Kuznetsova.
Vaidisova is 0-1 in Grand Slam semifinals, losing to Kuznetsova at the last French Open.
Williams has reached the semis 11 times in majors, and gone on to the finals nine times.
After just two matches at a warmup tournament, Williams' condition was called into question. Yet it was the 25-year-old American who held it together as the match wore on against Peer.
Her win over fifth-seeded Nadia Petrova in the third round was her first over a top 10 player since her last Australian title and she was showing signs of her old form in a straight-sets fourth-round win over 11th-seeded Jelena Jankovic.
What this quarterfinal lacked in skill - the two players combined for 83 unforced errors to 50 winners - it made up for in drama.
Pockets of Israeli fans cheered Peer on every point, while Williams' cheering section was just as vocal.
Williams was sluggish early in sunny but mild conditions and fell behind 3-0 quickly in the first set as Peer went for everything.
But Williams took advantage when Peer lost focus in the second set, when she had only two winners. Serving at 2-2, 15-30, she double-faulted, then committed six consecutive unforced errors.
Williams, urging herself on with shouts of "Come on!" and slaps to her thigh, took the last four games of the set, smacking three of her 11 aces in one game when facing break points.
But the problems continued. Williams faced break points in five of her seven service games in the deciding set. She broke Peer to jump ahead 3-1, only to see the Israeli tie it up at 4-all.
Williams fended off five break points in her next two service games, and Peer flinched for the last time while serving at 6-7.
In the changeover, Williams quickly flicked through a notebook. Whatever she read must have helped. She came out and won it on her first match point when Peer curled a backhand wide.
Top-seeded Maria Sharapova downed No. 22 Vera Zvonareva 7-5, 6-4 Monday and will play another all-Russian match in the quarterfinals after 12th-seeded Ana Chakvetadze beat No. 8 Patty Schnyder 6-4, 6-1.
No. 4 Kim Clijsters and three-time champion Martina Hingis will meet in the quarters here for the second straight year. Clijsters ended Hingis' remarkable comeback in her first major after three years on the sidelines last year, when the former No. 1 player started with a ranking of No. 341.
Rafael Nadal finally got to see how he holds up against a guy who can also beat Federer in a match that started late Monday and finished well after midnight.
He outlasted the 19-year-old Andy Murray, twice rallying from a set down to win 6-7 (3), 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 and reach the quarterfinals.
"It was a very, very, very important match for me, very tough," Nadal said. "Andy was playing at an unbelievable level. He's very smart on court, for sure."
Nadal, who has been ranked No. 2 to Federer every week since July 2005, had to fend off 10 break points in the last two sets.
Federer lost only five of 97 matches last year: Nadal was responsible for four of those - all in finals - and Murray pulled an upset at Cincinnati that ended the Swiss star's 55-match winning streak in North America.
Murray said his narrow loss to Nadal was the best he's ever played, even better than his upset over Federer.
Nadal next faces No. 10 Fernando Gonzalez, who beat fifth-seeded James Blake 7-5, 6-4, 7-6 (4).