TOKYO, Feb 5: Lindsay Davenport and Maria Sharapova booked a final clash at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo on Saturday with identical scores.
World number one Davenport beat U.S. Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-1 7-6 while second-seed Sharapova fought off a resilient Shinobu Asagoe by the same margin before 8,633 fans at Tokyo's Metropolitan Gymnasium.
Davenport had little trouble with Kuznetsova in the first set as the third seed scattered balls around the court, but in the second, Davenport matched the U.S. Open champion error for error.
However, Davenport used some good serves and a double fault by her Russian opponent to leap into a 4-0 lead in the tiebreak while Kuznetsova couldn't string enough shots together to offer a challenge. Two netted backhands saw the end of her resistance.
"She made some errors in the first set and I was able to take advantage of that," Davenport said. "I tried to stay aggressive. This fast surface suits me better and I think that was the difference."
In the first semifinal, Japan's Asagoe, who beat Russia's Elena Dementieva in the quarters, looked out of her depth as she lost all three of her service games in the opening set.
Wimbledon champion Sharapova was sharp from the beginning and had little trouble breezing through the set using strong serves and crisp ground strokes.
In the second set, world number 32 Asagoe was a different player as she rediscovered her serve and fought tirelessly to put pressure on her Russian opponent with some long rallies.
But in the tiebreak her sixth double-fault and a lucky ace by the Russian - her seventh of the match - gave Sharapova the advantage and she won through 7-3 after an Asagoe backhand sailed long.
"The second set was very close with some really good rallies and it came right down to the end," Sharapova said. "She played a really great match and is a real fighter. The points were really good."
Davenport, a four-times champion here, said she was looking forward to the final.
"Maria likes fast surfaces so I'm expecting a tough match," the top seed said. "On this surface, you need to serve well and just try and hold on, but you have to go for your shots".
Results:
Lindsay Davenport bt Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-1 7-6 (7-2); Maria Sharapova bt Shinobu Asagoe (Japan) 6-1 7-6 (7-3.
MartineZ in final
PATTAYA: Third seed Conchita Martinez reached her first singles final since last April when her opponent Evgenia Linetskaya retired trailing 6-2 4-0 in the Thailand Open on Saturday.
Spain's Martinez, whose last title win was in Berlin in May 2000, will meet Anna Lena Groenefeld in the final after the German teenager beat Virginia Ruano Pascual 4-6 6-2 6-2.
Martinez, 32, dropped a set to qualifier Shikha Ubero in the first round and survived two match points against Silvija Talaja but has played herself into form.
Linetskaya, who beat top seed Vera Zvonareva on Friday, struggled in the conditions and retired with heat illness after receiving treatment off court and using ice bags on her legs and neck during the change of ends.
Groenefeld, 19, bidding for a place in her first WTA singles final, started poorly against Spaniard Ruano Pascual. She settled late in the first set, though, finding power and range on her serve and trying some serve and volley to good effect.
Results:
Singles (semifinals)
Conchita Martinez bt Evgenia Linetskaya 6-2, 4-0 retired;
Anna Lena Groenefeld bt Virginia Ruano Pascual 4-6, 6-2, 6-2
Spadea reaches semis
DELRAY BEACH (Florida): First seed Vincent Spadea stumbled in the middle set before regrouping to defeat fellow American Kevin Kim and advance to the semifinals of the 380,000 dollar Millennium International tennis tournament.
In his second straight three-set match, Spadea got past Kim, 7-5, 6-7 (0/7), 6-4, in the quarterfinal.
A finalist here last year, Spadea also needed three sets to get past 19-year-old Russian qualifier Teimuraz Gabashvili in the second round. He awaits the winner of the match between third seed Xavier Malisse of Belgium and Paraguay's Ramon Delgado.
Spadea lost to Brazilian Ricardo Mello here in the 2004 final.
He went on to capture his first ATP Tour title at Scottsdale in March and ended the year ranked a career-high 19th.
Kim had won twice at the Australian Open, pushing his ranking to a career-best 71st.
South Africa's Wesley Moodie, known as a doubles specialist, reached the semi-finals Friday afternoon when Peter Wessels of the Netherlands retired with a back injury trailing 5-0.
The 25-year-old Moodie was just 9-17 last season. In the semi-finals, he will face second seed Jiri Novak of the Czech Republic, who posted a 6-3, 7-5 victory over seventh seed Kenneth Carlsen of Denmark.
Mello was upset in the second round. First prize is 52,000 dollars.
Results:
Quarterfinals results
Vincent Spadea bt Kevin Kim 7-5, 6-7 (0/7), 6-4; Jiri Novak bt Kenneth Carlsen 6-3, 7-5; Wesley Moodie bt Peter Wessels 5-0, retired
Millennium results
RALEIGH (North Carolina): Quarterfinal results from the $300,000 Millennium International Tennis Championships at Delray Beach, Florida on Friday: Wesley Moodie (South Africa) bt Peter Wessels (Netherlands) 5-0 ret; Jiri Novak (Czech Republic) bt Kenneth Carlsen 6-3 7-5; Vince Spadea bt Kevin Kim (U.S.) 7-5 6-7 (0-7) 6-4; Xavier Malisse (Belgium) bt Ramon Delgado (Paraguay) 6-2 6-2.-Agencies
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