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Venus Williams back in Wimbledon finals

LONDON, July 3 (UPI) -- Reigning champion Venus Williams beat Russia's Elena Dementieva 6-1, 7-6 (7-3) in one women's semifinal Thursday at the Wimbledon tennis championships.

Williams, the women's seventh seed, wiped out a nervous, over-matched fifth-seeded Dementieva in just 38 minutes in the first set.

Dementieva made the match respectable by forcing a second set tie-breaker.

Williams faces sister Serena, the sixth seed, in the women's final on Saturday.

Serena Williams beat unseeded Jie Zheng of China 6-2, 7-6 (7-5) to set up a third all-Williams Wimbledon title match on Saturday.

"I'm looking forward to playing her," Venus told reporters before her sister's victory. "It's so exciting. I lost serve once every match. That's pretty impressive (and) I'm looking forward to that final."

Venus, 28, a six-time Grand Slam champion, rose to 7-0 in Wimbledon semifinal appearances and will be trying to win her 37th title in 59 career finals.

Serena won the 2002 and 2003 matchups.

Schuettler to face Nadal at Wimbledon

WIMBLEDON, England, July 3 (UPI) -- German Rainer Schuettler downed Frenchman Arnaud Clement despite rain Thursday to earn a semifinal match against Spaniard Rafael Nadal Friday at Wimbledon.

In the other semifinal, five-time champion Roger Federer will face former world No. 1 Marat Safin on Center Court at the All England Club.

Schuettler and Clement split sets before their quarterfinal match was suspended because of darkness Wednesday. The two veterans resumed play Thursday in what became a 5-hour, 12-minute epic fight on Court 1.

The 32-year-old Schuettler wound up with a 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (8-6), 6-7 (7-9), 8-6 victory.

Report: Mauresmo to skip Olympics

PARIS, July 3 (UPI) -- Former world No. 1 women's tennis player Amelie Mauresmo of France will skip the Summer Olympics in Beijing, a Web site reported Thursday.

The Earth Times said the 2006 women's singles champion at Wimbledon announced the decision on her personal Web site.

"As I was not picked to play singles and because I need to prevent further physical problems, I have decided not to take part in the Olympics," the 28-year-old Mauresmo said. "I will concentrate on preparing for the U.S. Open."

Her world singles ranking has dropped to No. 33, and physical ailments have hampered her in the past several seasons.

The report said Mauresmo was chosen only to play doubles at the August 8-24 Games, making the trip not worth the trouble in her view.

Other high profile names not expected to play in Beijing are compatriot Mary Pierce and American Andy Roddick.

Report: Clippers' Kaman is German citizen

DETROIT, July 3 (UPI) -- LA Clippers center Chris Kaman has obtained citizenship in Germany and will play for its men's basketball Olympic qualifying team, a newspaper report said.

A report by the Detroit News Thursday said that the 7-foot Kaman, a former collegian at Central Michigan University, will join Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki later this month when Germany attempts to qualify for its first Olympics since the 1992 Barcelona Games.

Kaman's grandparents are German.

The German team is practicing at home for a warm-up tournament before it travels to Greece for the July 14-20 qualifying event in Athens.

"Chris is a significant addition and we'll now have to integrate him in time for the Athens tournament," Coach Dirk Bauermann told the newspaper.

"We'll be stronger under the baskets with Chris," Nowitzki said.

Last season, Kaman averaged 15.7 points and 12.7 rebounds last season for the Clippers.

He was a first-round pick by the Clippers in the 2003 NBA draft.

Ross Fisher leads the European Open

KENT, England, July 3 (UPI) -- Ross Fisher shot a course record 9-under-par 63 Thursday and has a two-stroke lead after one round at the European Open golf tournament in Kent, England.

The Englishman, playing before a highly-partisan crowd, set a quick tone by making birdies from holes 4-9 on the front nine and continued his momentum with four more birdies on the back nine to offset his lone bogey at No. 17.

He leads Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell and South Africa's David Frost, whose 7-under 65 left them tied for second place after the tournament's first 18 holes.

"It's probably the best, most solid round of golf I've played," Fisher said.

Northern Ireland's Rory McIroy is fourth at 5-under 67 while a group of eight golfers shares fifth at 4-under 68.