20 February 2005	Sunday	10 Muharram 1426

BRUSSELS, Feb 19: Venus Williams made light work of local favourite and former world number one Kim Clijsters to reach the semi-finals of the Antwerp Diamond Games tournament on Friday.

The American, seeking her third title in Antwerp, won 6-2 6-3 to end the Belgian's run in a tournament she entered to make her latest comeback from a serious wrist injury. Williams, who plays either Russia's second seed Anastasia Myskina or Slovenia's Katarina Srebotnik in the semis, was quick to praise Clijsters's performance.

French top seed Amelie Mauresmo fought back to beat Switzerland's Patty Schnyder 4-6 6-4 6-3 to reach the semi-finals, where she will face in-form Australian Alicia Molik who beat Czech Klara Koukalova 6-3 6-4.

World number two Mauresmo started sluggishly but eventually imposed her power-based game on Schnyder, sealing victory on her second match point with a volley that the Swiss could only net.

Fourth seed Molik, a quarterfinalist at the Australian Open in January, was an impressive winner over Koukalova. A single break was enough for her to clinch the first set and she was quickly 5-1 up in the second. Koukalova fought back to 5-4 before Molik wrapped up victory on serve.

Meanwhile, top seed Amelie Mauresmo of France beat Australian Alicia Molik 6-3 7-6 (7-2) on Saturday to reach the final. She will meet Anastasia Myskina of Russia or Venus Williams who were playing their semifinal later on Saturday.

QUARTERFINALS RESULTS: Alicia Molik bt Klara Koukalova (CZE) 6-3, 6-4; Amelie Mauresmo bt Patty Schnyder 4-6, 6-4, 6-4; Venus Williams bt Kim Clijsters 6-2, 6-3; Anastasia Myskina bt Katarina Srebotnik 7-6 (8/6), 6-2.

FEDERER IN SEMIS

ROTTERDAM: World number one Roger Federer warmed up for an explosive semi-final showdown with Mario Ancic with a battling 7-5 7-5 win over Russia's Nikolay Davydenko at the World Indoor Tournament on Friday.

Ancic completed a successful day for Croatia by beating third seed Tim Henman 7-6 7-6, while Ivan Ljubicic reached his second semi-final in as many weeks following a 3-6 6-4 6-2 victory over Paradorn Srichaphan.

Ljubicic will meet former Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson, who defeated Czech Radek Stepanek 6-2 7-6. Federer toyed with Davydenko in a 100-minute contest before ending the sixth seed's run at the Dutch port city.

The Swiss gave Davydenko a glimmer of hope in the opening game when the Russian earned a break point, though that was as good as it got for Davydenko, who kept being drawn into long rallies until Federer unleashed one of his spectacular winners.

The top seed wasted a set point in the 10th game on Davydenko's serve before finishing the job two games later. Davydenko had his chances to take the match into a third set, earning two break points in 11th game of the second but Federer safely negotiated that danger.

Henman, who lost to Ancic at Wimbledon last year, once again came up short against the big-serving Croatian. Four consecutive breaks of serve in the opening set displayed both players nerves before Ancic managed to get his fierce serve going in the tiebreak, winning it 7-5 with a thundering un returnable delivery.

The second set followed in identical fashion, with a dumped volley from Henman sealing Ancic's victory 7-4 in the breaker. Earlier, Sweden's Johansson enjoyed the upper hand for most of his match against Stepanek despite losing serve in the fifth game of the second set.

The Swede kept focus to level before securing victory 7-5 in the tiebreak with his second match point. Ljubicic, beaten by Joachim Johansson in the Marseille final last week, had to bide his time on Friday before finding his rhythm.

While Paradorn grabbed a single break to take the opening set, he failed to maintain the momentum in the second and started to drag his feet around court. The Asian number one looked increasing frustrated with himself in the third, generating unforced errors. A delighted Ljubicic capitalised and ended the match with a scorching backhand down the line winner.

QUARTERFINALS RESULTS: Roger Federer bt Nikolay Davydenko 7-5, 7-5; Thomas Johansson bt Radek Stepanek 6-2, 7-6 (7/5); Ivan Ljubicic bt Paradorn Srichaphan 3-6, 6-4, 6-2; Mario Ancic bt Tim Henman 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/4).

RODDICK SUBDUES GINEPRI

MEMPHIS: Top seed Andy Roddick needed two tiebreakers to edge a battling Robby Ginepri and reach the semi-finals of the ATP Tour tennis tournament here on Friday. Ginepri never dropped his serve but still succumbed to Roddick 7-6 (9/7), 7-6 (7/2), in an all-American quarter-final.

Ginepri, who wasted all four of his break-point chances, slipped to 0-5 lifetime against Roddick, who failed to convert any of his eight break opportunities. The 22-year-old Roddick, who captured the title last week in San Jose, California, for his 16th career ATP Tour title and first of the year, will face Denmark's Kenneth Carlsen in the semi-finals.

Carlsen defeated American Jan-Michael Gambill earlier Friday 7-6 (9/7), 7-5. Eighth seed Max Mirnyi of Belarus also reached the semi-finals with a 7-6 (7/1), 7-6 (7/1) decision over France's Antony Dupuis.

RESULTS:

MEN QUARTERFINALS: Andy Roddick bt Robby Ginepri 7-6 (9-7) 7-6 (7-2); Tommy Haas bt Xavier Malisse 6-4 6-3; Max Mirnyi bt Antony Dupuis 7-6 (7-1)7-6 (7-1); Kenneth Carlsen bt Jan-Michael Gambill 7-6 (9-7) 7-5

WOMEN SEMIFINALS: Vera Zvonareva bt Evgenia Linetskaya 6-4 6-1; Meghann Shaughnessy bt Nicole Vaidisova 7-6 (10-8) 7-6 (7-6). -Agencies