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Williams Sisters Roll To Semifinals

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By LIZ CLARKE

The Washington Post

Published: July 2, 2008

WIMBLEDON, England - WIMBLEDON, England - Their challengers have come in all forms, from an obscure British wild card to a former world No. 1, and from all around the globe.

But no player has managed to win a single set against Venus or Serena Williams through five rounds of play at Wimbledon this year. And it looks increasingly as if the sisters, who have won six Wimbledon championships between them, may be each other's only worthy foil.

The Williams sisters moved one step closer to meeting in Saturday's championship by breezing past a pair of overwhelmed quarterfinalists Tuesday.

Venus, the four-time and defending champion, was first to book her place in Thursday's semifinals, subduing 31-year-old Tamarine Tanasugarn of Thailand, 6-4, 6-3.

Serena was even more impressive in blasting 19-year-old Agnieszka Radwanska off Centre Court, firing 11 aces - including four in one game - en route to a 6-4, 6-0 victory. The match lasted just 51 minutes. The second set, in which Radwanska scored only eight points, raced by in 19 minutes.

Up next for Venus is fifth-seeded Elena Dementieva, a hard-working, hard-hitting Russian who is notorious for seizing up with nerves at critical moments. Dementieva's demons reared up again Tuesday as she squandered two match points in the second set after building a 5-1 lead. She lost the tiebreak that followed but regrouped, after changing into a fresh dress, to oust fellow Russian Nadia Petrova, 6-1, 6-7 (8-6), 6-3.

But the day's most compelling story was written by China's Zheng Jie, who continued her improbable march to Wimbledon's final four by toppling 18th-seeded Nicole Vaidisova of the Czech Republic, 6-2, 5-7, 6-1.

Zheng, 24, needed a wild card to enter Wimbledon after suffering an ankle injury that idled her for most of 2007 and sent her world ranking tumbling to 163rd. As half of Wimbledon's victorious women's doubles team in 2006, Zheng was granted the entry and has played with tremendous power, knocking off three top-20 seeds in succession, including world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic.

Zheng's reward for her stirring performance, the best by an Asian singles player in Wimbledon history, is a rematch with Serena, who beat Zheng in straight sets during her run to a second consecutive Wimbledon title in 2003.

"Of course I hope I can have better achievements when I'm playing with her. And of course I also wish to win," Zheng said.

Zheng, who is from China's earthquake-ravaged Sichuan province, said through the translator that she would donate her portion of her tournament winnings to relief efforts in the region. While British oddsmakers have anointed Venus the favorite to win a fifth Wimbledon title, Serena has looked slightly more impressive, reducing her unforced errors and honing her attack in each round. Against Radwanska she committed just six unforced errors and 27 winners, a staggering number of winners given the match's brevity.

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