July 4, 2003	Friday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 3,1424

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LONDON, July 3: Touted title hopes Roger Federer and Andy Roddick edged closer to a possible weekend trophy at the US$15.7-m Wimbledon Championships on a dreary Thursday, but the gloom only increased for beaten Brit Tim Henman.

The Oxford-bred home hope crashed out a broken man without coming within a sniff of the nation’s long-sought title, absorbing a compelling four set defeat at the hands of flawless Frenchman Sebastien Grosjean.

The 13th-seeded Grosjean, who won his first career title on the grass of Nottingham, moved into the last four at the All England club, winning a match which began Wednesday, 7-6 (10-8), 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Play resumed Thursday in the fourth set with Grosjean up two sets to one and leading 2-1.

The French outsider scored the win after Henman saved a match point in the ninth game of the fourth set, forcing the Frenchman to serve it out.

Henman lost with a backhand into the net, deflating the hopes of thousands at an event where the last British men’s title came two generations ago in 1936.

Fourth seed Federer overwhelmed injured Dutchman Sjeng Schalken, ousting the eighth seed 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 while Roddick dispatched Swedish chances in the form of veteran Jonas Bjorkman 6-4, 6-2, 6-4.

Due to rain which has plagued the event every day this week, Federer and Roddick only got onto court Thursday, while Henman and Grosjean were stranded over night.

In women’s semifinal play, Serena Williams reached her second straight final, waiting out a rain delay to take revenge on Justine Henin-Hardenne 6-3, 6-2.

Serena’s victory made up for a loss the American world number 1 took to Henin-Hardenne in an ill-tempered semifinal at the French Open last month.

The match began two-and-a-half hours late, but lasted only 70 minutes as Williams hit her lethal stride from the start.

The top-seeded holder broke twice for a 4-0 lead, but her battling opponent fought back in the opening set to pull to within a game 3-4.

Williams broke again and then served out the set. She started the second with a break and was unchallenged into the final, where she will meet sister Venus who dumped.

Never one to digest her losses easily, Serena Williams has used her painful defeat at the French Open to spur her here.

The defending champion was bidding to win her fifth grand slam title on the trot at Roland Garros but a resolute Justine Henin-Hardenne ended Serena’s Paris campaign in the semi-finals.

The defeat also ruined the American’s chances of achieving a calendar year grand slam in 2003.

“It (the defeat in Paris) has definitely helped me as I went home and worked harder than normal,” said Serena after charging through to her second consecutive All England Club final with a 6-3 6-2 win over Henin on Thursday.

Later Venus Williams made it an American double over Belgium at Wimbledon on Thursday, fighting back to beat second seed Kim Clijsters 4-6 6-3 6-1 and book a second successive meeting with sister Serena in the final.

Venus, winner here in 2000 and 2001, needed lengthy treatment on an abdominal injury at 1-2 in the first set, but the Belgian showed no mercy, stretching her opponent all around the court to take the opener in 43 minutes.

After a lengthy rain delay, Venus slipped behind early in the second set, but looked more like her old aggressive self to break the Clijsters serve three times in a row and level the match.

Both players upped their level at the start of the third set but the momentum was firmly with fourth seed Venus. The writing was on the wall for Clijsters when she netted a mid-court forehand at 1-1 to go behind for the first time in the match.

Showing no sign of the injury that effected her so badly early on, Venus began striking the ball with real venom and streamrollered to victory in one hour 40 minutes, the final set taking just 24 minutes.

Thursday’s results (prefix number denotes seeding):

Men’s singles:

Quarterfinals: Mark Philippoussis (Australia) beat Alexander Popp (Germany) 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 8-6; 13-Sebastien Grosjean (France) beat 10-Tim Henman (Britain) 7-6 (10-8), 3-6, 6-3, 6-4; 4-Roger Federer (Switzerland) beat 8-Sjeng Schalken (Netherlands) 6-3, 6-4, 6-4; 5-Andy Roddick (US) beat Jonas Bjorkman (Sweden) 6-4, 6-2, 6-4.

Women’s singles:

Semifinals: 4-Venus Williams (US) beat 2-Kim Clijsters (Belgium) 4-6, 6-3, 6-1; 1-Serena Williams (US) beat 3-Justine Henin-Hardenne (Belgium) 6-3, 6-2.

Friday’s order of play:

Centre Court (play starts 1100 GMT)

Men’s singles, semifinal 13-Sebastien Grosjean (France) v Mark Philippoussis (Australia) 5-Andy Roddick (U.S.) v 4-Roger Federer (Switzerland).