October 06, 2007	Saturday	Ramazan 23, 1428

TOKYO, Oct 5: Top seed Venus Williams moved into the semi-finals at the Japan Open on Thursday after struggling through the first set, but second seed Sania Mirza’s run in Tokyo came to an unexpected end.

On the men’s side, the top four seeds – David Ferrer, Tomas Berdych, Richard Gasquet and Lleyton Hewitt – all advanced to the quarter-finals.

Venus, the reigning Wimbledon champion who is heavily favoured to win here, lost her serve twice in the first set, but the six-time Grand Slam winner’s experience helped her to a 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 quarter-final win over Australia’s Alicia Molik.

Molik, ranked 74th, came back from 1-3 and then 2-4 down to level the score each time before forcing a tie-breaker in the opening set.

But the Australian hit her forehand wide twice on her serve to quickly fall behind 0-3 in the tie-breaker. Venus hit an easy forehand winner at the net on her first set point.

The two women stayed on serve in the second set until Molik hit a double fault to go down 3-4, sending Venus on the path to victory. Sania crashed out in the quarter-finals, surrendering to eighth seed Flavia Pennetta of Italy, 6-4, 6-4.

Sania double-faulted in the seventh game of the second set to go down 3-4. She saved one match point in the ninth game, but Pennetta triumphed when Sania sent a backhand return long.

In the semi-finals, Venus will take on Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark, who defeated Klara Zakopalova of the Czech Republic 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (7/3).

Pennetta will face fifth seed Virginie Razzano of France, who coasted to an easy 6-2, 6-2 winner over her compatriot Camille Pin.

In the men’s third round, Ferrer of Spain was a 6-1, 7-6 (7/0) winner over American Vincent Spadea, while Berdych of the Czech Republic outplayed 16th-seeded American Michael Russell 6-4, 6-2.

Gasquet, the third seed from France, outclassed 2003 champion Rainer Schuettler of Germany, 6-2, 6-2, while 2001 champion and fourth seed Lleyton Hewitt of Australia defeated Spain’s Ivan Navarro, 7-5, 6-3.

Thursday’s results (x denotes seeding):

Men’s:

Third round: Ivo Karlovic (CRO x7) bt Lee Hyung-Taik (KOR x9) 7-6 (8/6), 6-7 (8/10), 7-6 (10/8); Fernando Verdasco (ESP x8) bt Thomas Johansson (SWE x12) 7-6 (7/4), 5-7, 6-3; Tomas Berdych (CZE x2) bt Michael Russell (US x16) 6-4, 6-2; Lleyton Hewitt (AUS x4) bt Ivan Navarro (ESP) 7-5, 6-3; Dedi Sela (ISR) bt Boris Pashanski (SRB) 6-2, 4-0, retired; Feliciano Lopez (ESP x10) bt Dmitry Tursunov (RUS x6) 7-6 (10/8), 6-4; David Ferrer (ESP x1) bt Vincent Spadea (USA) 6-1, 7-6 (7/0); Richard Gasquet (FRA x3) bt Rainer Schuettler (GER) 6-2, 6-2.

Women’s:

Quarter-finals: Virginie Razzano (FRA x5) bt Camille Pin (FRA) 6-2, 6-2; Venus Williams (US x1) bt Alicia Molik (AUS) 7-6 (7/4), 6-3; Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) bt Klara Zakopalova (CZE) 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (7/3); Flavia Pennetta (ITA x8) bt Sania Mirza (IND x2) 6-4, 6-4.

HENIN IN LAST EIGHT

STUTTGART: World number one Justine Henin looked every inch the favourite for Stuttgart’s WTA tournament as she reached the last eight with a straight-sets win over Russia’s Dinara Safin – even if she didn’t feel well.

Henin, 25, had to work hard – and battle a cold – to take the first set 6-4 against Safina, ranked 17th in the world, who matched the Belgian’s hard-hitting game at Stuttgart’s Porsche Arena on Thursday.

But Henin showed the sort of form which has seen her win the US Open and Roland Garros this year with some superb touches to leave the Russian frustrated and well beaten as she took the second set 6-1.

Henin will meet Russian Elena Dementieva in the quarter-final after her straight sets win over Slovakian eighth-seed Daniela Hantuchova 6-4, 6-4 late on Thursday evening.

Thursday’s results:

Second round: Nadia Petrova (RUS x7) bt Michaella Krajicek (NED) 6-1, 6-3; Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) bt Ana Ivanovic (SRB x5) 6-2, 1-6, 6-3; Jelenka Jankovic (SRB x3) bt Shahar Peer (ISR) 4-6, 6-1, 6-3; Justine Henin (BEL x1) bt Dinara Safina (RUS) 6-4, 6-1; Elena Dementieva (RUS) bt Daniela Hantuchova (SVK x8) 6-4, 6-4.

MURRAY moves ahead

METZ (France): Briton Andy Murray eased into the Metz Open quarter-finals with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Frenchman Michael Llodra on Thursday.

The third-seeded Scot needed only one hour and 11 minutes to see off the crowd favourite and next plays either German Philipp Kohlschreiber or France’s Jo Wilfried Tsonga.

Murray, whose season has been hampered by a wrist injury, broke in the ninth game of the first set after the umpire ruled a point in his favour and never looked back.

Second seed Guillermo Canas of Argentina also qualified with a 7-6, 7-6 win over Austrian Juergen Melzer after two hours and 18 minutes.

Austria’s Stefan Koubek was disqualified for comments he made to the tournament superviser during his match with Sebastien Grosjean of France.

Koubek was leading the second-round encounter 5-7, 7-6, 4-2 when superviser Thomas Karlberg ordered the umpire to disqualify him.

Grosjean next faces top seed Tommy Robredo of Spain in the quarter-finals.

Thursday’s results:

Second round: Andy Murray (GBR x3) bt Michael Llodra (FRA) 6-4, 6-3; Sebastien Grosjean (FRA) bt Stefan Koubek (AUT) 7-5, 6-7 (4/7), 2-4 - disqualification for verbal abuse of official; Nicolas Mahut (FRA) bt Julien Beneteau (FRA) 6-3, 3-6, 6-3; Igor Andreev (RUS x8) bt Nicolas Lapentti (ECU) 6-3, 6-3; Guillermo Canas (ARG x2) bt Jurgen Melzer (AUT) 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (8/6).—Agencies