STANFORD (California), July 14: Serena Williams has still not kicked post Wimbledon jet lag, but she still managed to beat Chanelle Scheepers 6-4, 6-0 in the quarter-finals of the Stanford Classic on Friday.
Second seed Mario Bartoli and third seed Dominika Cibulkova, however, did not fare as well with France’s Bartoli beaten by Yanina Wickmayer 6-3, 6-2, while Romania’s Sorana Cirstea beat Slovakia’s Cibulkova 6-7, 6-2, 6-0.
Williams, who won her fifth Wimbledon singles title last week, arrived in Northern California on Monday and had been unable to get a good’s night sleep. “I still have major jet-lag,” said the 30-year-old US star.
In the semis, she’ll face Cirstea after the Romanian stayed mentally strong despite a bizarre first set when she won six out of her nine challenges.
Belgium’s Wickmayer, seeded fifth, advanced to a final-four clash with American Coco Vandeweghe, who bested Urszula Radwanska 6-4 6-4 and reached her first WTA semi-final.
Results (prefix number denotes seeding): Quarter-finals: 1-Serena Williams (US) bt 6-Chanelle Scheepers (South Africa) 6-4, 6-0; 9-Sorana Cirstea (Romania) bt 3-Dominika Cibulkova (Slovakia) 6-7(5-7), 6-2, 6-0; 5-Yanina Wickmayer (Belgium) bt 2-Marion Bartoli (France) 6-3, 6-2; Coco Vandeweghe (US) bt Urszula Radwanska (Poland) 6-4, 6-4
ISNER, HARRISON SET UP LAST-FOUR CLASH NEWPORT (Rhode Island), July 13: Americans John Isner and Ryan Harrison will face off in the semifinals at the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships.
Defending champion Isner hammered 12 aces to defeat Izak van der Merwe 6-4, 7-6 and reach the semi-finals on Friday.
Top seeded Isner will square off against Harrison who was leading 6-4, 3-0 in his quarter-final when Benjamin Becker, of Germany, retired with an injury.Lleyton Hewitt of Australia and 2009 Newport champion Rajeev Ram will meet in the other semi-final.
Results: Quarter-finals: 1-John Isner (US) bt Izak Van der Merwe (South Africa) 6-4, 7-6 (7-2); 6-Ryan Harrison (US) bt Benjamin Becker (Germany) 6-4 3-0—Becker retired.
FERRER ADVANCES TO SEMI-FINALS BASTAD (Sweden): Top-seeded David Ferrer of Spain ousted his countryman Tommy Robredo 6-3, 4-6, 6-0 Friday to reach the semi-finals of the Swedish Open.
Ferrer, the 2007 winner and runner-up last year, will meet sixth-seeded Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria who also advanced after beating third-seeded Albert Ramos of Spain, the 2008 winner, 7-6, 6-3.
Second-seeded Nicolas Almagro beat fellow Spaniard Daniel Gimeno-Traver 7-6, 4-6, 6-3. The 2010 winner will play Jan Hajek of the Czech Republic, who beat Jurgen Zopp of Estonia 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.
Results Quarter-finals: 2-Nicolas Almagro (Spain) bt Daniel Gimeno-Traver (Spain) 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, 6-3; Jan Hajek (Czech Republic) bt Juergen Zopp (Estonia) 6-3, 4-6, 6-3; 1-David Ferrer (Spain) bt Tommy Robredo (Spain) 6-3, 4-6, 6-0; 6-Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria) bt 3-Albert Ramos (Spain) 7-6 (7-1), 6-3.—Agencies