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| July 22, 2006 | Saturday | Jumadi-ul-Sani 25, 1427 |
Another ruthless win for Williams
CINCINNATI, July 21: Serena Williams' comeback continued with another ruthless display, sweeping past Bethanie Mattek 6-3, 6-1 on Thursday to advance to the quarter-finals of the Cincinnati Open.
Sidelined for six months with an injured left knee, Williams has displayed few signs of rust in her return following up her 6-2, 6-2 first-round victory over second seed Anastasia Myskina on Tuesday with an equally clinical effort against Mattek.
The seven-time Grand Slam winner needed just 63 minutes to dispose of the 105th-ranked American and move into the final eight where she will take on compatriot Amy Frazier.
Williams, who has not seen action since the third round of the Australian Open, got the match off to a sluggish start when Mattek broke her to go up 2-1.
But Williams immediately broke then simply overwhelmed Mattek, winning 11 of the next 13 games.
In other second-round action, fifth seed Jelena Jankovic of Serbia eased past Italy's Maria Elena Camerin 6-4, 6-4 while sixth seeded Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli battled to a 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 win over Russia's Vasilisa Bardina.
Russia's Vera Zvonareva thrashed Uzbekistan's Varvara Lepchenko 6-0, 6-2 to book her spot in the final eight.
Thursday’s results:
Second round: Serena Williams (US) beat Bethanie Mattek (US) 6-3, 6-1; 6-Marion Bartoli (France) beat Vasilisa Bardina (Russia) 6-2, 2-6, 6-3; 5-Jelena Jankovic (Serbia & Montenegro) beat Maria Elena Camerin (Italy) 6-4, 6-4; Vera Zvonareva (Russia) beat Varvara Lepchenko (Uzbekistan) 6-0, 6-2.
DUO FACE TOUGH TIMES
INDIANAPOLIS: Top seed James Blake and two-time winner Andy Roddick were both put to stern tests before earning victories and places in the RCA Championships quarter-finals on Thursday.
Blake, who had never been past the first round at the event in three previous appearances, ended the run of Wesley Whitehouse, defeating the South African qualifier 6-7, 6-3, 6-4.
Second seed Roddick laboured to a 7-6, 7-5 third-round victory over hard-hitting fellow American Jeff Morrison.The 2003 and 2004 champion was out-aced 12 to nine by Morrison, who played well above his 183rd ranking.
World number six Blake was broken after a double-fault while serving for victory at 5-2 in the final set, but the American steadied to finally lift the win on the back of 19 aces and four breaks of serve.
The loss ended a career-best run for 512th-ranked qualifier Whitehouse, who upset Marat Safin a day earlier.
Titleholder Robby Ginepri missed a second-set match point but stepped up the pressure to finally defeat Russian Igor Kunitsyn 6-2, 6-7, 6-1.
The 17th-ranked Ginepri now stands a modest 8-16 this season a year after winning his second career title at Indianapolis.
Third-seeded Fernando Gonzalez of Chile overcame American number 14 Vince Spadea 6-4, 7-6. Belgian ninth seed Xavier Malisse out-duelled Russian Dmitry Tursunov, the number seven, 7-6, 3-6, 6-3.
Eighth-seeded 2003 finalist Paradorn Srichaphan got out of a 2-4 deficit in his third set against Paul Goldstein, overcoming the American 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 as he saved three match points.The Thai, who has suffered a dozen first-round defeats this season, was slated to meet Ginepri on Friday.
Results:
Third round: 2-Andy Roddick (US) beat Jeff Morrison (US) 7-6 (7-4), 7-5; 12-Gilles Muller (Luxembourg) beat Kenneth Carlsen (Denmark) 6-1, 6-2; 10-Nicolas Mahut (France) beat 5-Tommy Haas (Germany) 6-4, 7-5; 1-James Blake (US) beat Wesley Whitehouse (South Africa) 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 6-4; 8-Paradorn Srichaphan (Thailand) beat 11-Paul Goldstein (US) 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3); 9-Xavier Malisse (Belgium) beat 7-Dmitry Tursunov (Russia) 7-6 (7-4), 3-6, 6-3; 4-Robby Ginepri (US) beat 15-Igor Kunitsyn (Russia) 6-2, 6-7 (2-7), 6-1; 3-Fernando Gonzalez (Chile) beat 14-Vince Spadea (US) 6-4, 7-6 (9-7).—Reuters
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