Tennis
Paris Open semifinals set PARIS (AP) – Defending champion Amelie Mauresmo and top-seeded Justine Henin advanced to the Open Gaz de France semifinals Friday.
Mauresmo, the second-seeded French star, beat eighth-seeded Anna Chakvetadze of Russia 7-6 (5), 7-5, and Henin held off unseeded Tatiana Golovin of France 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.
Mauresmo has been to the indoor final five times and won twice.
In the semifinals, Mauresmo will face fourth-seeded Nadia Petrova, the Russian who won their last match in the 2006-ending WTA Tour Championships. On Friday, Petrova beat countrywoman and 2005 champ Dinara Safina 6-3, 6-2.
Henin will play unseeded Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic, a 6-3, 6-4 winner over Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia.
Mirza beats Santangelo at Pattaya
BANGKOK, Thailand – India’s Sania Mirza beat Italy’s Maria Santangelo 6-4, 7-6(4) on Friday to reach the semifinals of the Pattaya Women’s Open.
The fifth-seeded Mirza came back from a 5-3 deficit in both sets to overpower her third-seeded opponent.
China’s Peng Shuai, the No. 4 seed, used strong groundstrokes to defeat Israel’s Tzipi Obziler 6-3, 6-2.
“I hit the balls hard and tried to make her run,” said Peng, who was slowed by a cough and cold to earn her first semifinal berth of the year.
Sixth-seeded Gisela Dulko of Argentina defeated Nicole Pratt of Australia 6-2, 6-3 to reach her first tour semifinals in two years.
Left-handed Sybille Bammer of Austria returned to the Pattaya semis for a second straight year after taking nearly three hours to beat Martina Sucha of Slovakia 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.
“It was a very long match,” said Bammer, who ended a losing streak to the Slovak. “I’m so happy, because I lost to her five times.”
In the semifinals, Mirza meets Peng, and Dulko plays Bammer.