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MELBOURNE: Rafael Nadal and Jelena Jankovic earned their first
appearances in the Australian Open semifinals on Tuesday but it
ended in misery for defending women’s champion Serena Williams.
The mercurial Nadal ruined Jarkko Nieminen’s
day with a 7-5, 6-3, 6-1 demolition of the 24th seeded Finn while
Jankovic shattered Williams’ dream of retaining her title in a
6-3, 6-4 drubbing.
Top seed Justine Henin plays Russian fifth seed
Maria Sharapova later Tuesday for the right to face Jankovic while
unseeded Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has a crack at 14th seed
Mikhail Youzhny with the winner to play Nadal.
The second seeded Spaniard reacted best on the
pressure points to come away with victory against Nieminen and he
was overjoyed at finally breaking his Australian jinx by making the
last four.
“I am very happy to be in the semifinal.
It’s a very important tournament for me to start the season
well,” he said.
The triple French Open champion has advanced
without dropping a set and betters his previous best Australian Open
result last year when he reached the last eight for the first time.
He was always in control after the Finn wasted
two set points in the 10th game of the opening set.
“He had set points against me in the first set
and he had a good chance with the second serve. He missed the return
but he played great today and he has started the season very
well,” Nadal said.
The Spaniard has the possibility of claiming the
world No. 1 ranking off Roger Federer at this year’s tournament
and is on course to face the top seed in Sunday’s final.
Federer could lose the position he has held
since February 2004 if he fails to beat James Blake on Wednesday and
misses the semifinals while Nadal goes on to win the title.
Williams was outgunned by Serbia’s third seed
Jankovic, who played through the pain barrier to overcome the
American eight-time Grand Slam champion after receiving treatment
during the match for a painful left thigh.
The 22-year-old was thrilled to avenge her loss
to Williams at last year’s event, labeling the win her best Grand
Slam performance as she finally overcame the injuries and poor form
that marred her early matches this year.
“Getting revenge it feels so good. I’m so
happy to be in the semifinal, after having no expectations, having
injuries and not really thinking that I can go far,” she said
“It was an unbelievable match and I’m still
shaking,” added Jankovic. “I came here with no expectations and
to beat the defending champion and in general a champion like
Serena, it doesn’t happen every day.”
In the other quarterfinals, Federer plays 12th
seed Blake on Wednesday while in-form Serb Novak Djokovic is up
against fifth David Ferrer of Spain.
On the women’s side, six-time Grand Slam
champion Venus Williams takes on Serbian fourth seed Ana Ivanovic
and Polish dark horse Agnieszka Radwanska, seeded 29, challenges
Slovak ninth seed Daniela Hantuchova.
-- AFP
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