LONDON, July 1 (UPI) -- Subject: WIMBLEDON TENNIS REPORT
Date: Monday, July 01, 2002 4:58:37 PM EST
Message-ID:
WIMBLEDON TENNIS REPORT
------------------------------------
WIMBLEDON TENNIS REPORT
------------------------------------
(UPDATING)
Top seeds Venus Williams and Lleyton Hewitt on Monday raced into the quarterfinals at Wimbledon but Tim Henman's road was not as easy.
Williams, the two-time defending champion, needed just 48 minutes to crush fellow American Lisa Raymond, the 16th seed, 6-1, 6-2.
"It's definitely nice knowing that I've won the tournament before, have the experience," Williams said. "I know what it takes to win here. I think I have a lot going for me with that. I am the only player in the draw who has won here."
Sporting a large, white patch on her left knee, the 22-year-old Williams won 85 percent of her first-service points and converted 4-of-7 break opportunities. She had 20 winners and only nine unforced errors.
Firing her serve consistently above 100 miles an hour, the four-time Grand Slam champion faced just one break point.
Raymond's lone chance on Williams' serve came at 5-2 in the second set, but the top-ranked American elicited a weak reply with a strong serve and earned a match point with an ace closed at 116 miles per hour.
Williams next faces Elena Likhovtseva in the quarterfinals. The Russian ousted No. 19 Magdalena Maleeva of Bulgaria, 6-3, 6-4.
Joining her sister in the quarterfinals is Serena Williams, who dispatched countrywoman Chanda Rubin, 6-3, 6-3. Williams, who lost in the quarterfinals here last year, beat Venus in the French Open final last month to claim her second career Grand Slam crown.
Rubin, making her 10th appearance here, was playing in the fourth round at the All-England Tennis Club for the first time.
Hewitt advanced to his first Wimbledon quarterfinal with a 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 victory over Russia's Mikhail Youzhny. The 21-year-old Australian has not dropped a set at this year's tournament.
Hewitt handled Youzhny easier than he did two weeks ago in 's-Hertogenbosch, where he edged the 20-year-old Russian, 6-4, 5-7, 7-6, in the second round.
Hewitt captured his fourth career grasscourt title last month at the Stella Artois Championships, but was forced to withdraw from the quarterfinals at 's-Hertogenbosch with a stomach virus.
The reigning U.S. Open champion next takes on No. 18 Sjeng Schalken of the Netherlands, who posted a 6-2, 7-5, 7-5 victory over Jan Vacek of the Czech Republic. Schalken won his first grasscourt tournament at 's-Hertogenbosch.
Henman endured a demanding match with Switzerland's Kratochvil but was able to reach the quarterfinals here for the sixth time in nine appearances. Henman posted a 7-6 (7-5), 6-7 (2-7), 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory.
Henman, who has been in the semifinals at the All-England Club three times, is one of only two top-10 seeds to advance past the third round. He showed great resolve by rallying to win and keep alive his dream of becoming the first Englishman to triumph at Wimbledon since Fred Perry in 1936.
Henman gets Brazilian Andre Sa in the next round. Sa moved into his first career Grand Slam quarterfinal with a 6-3, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3, victory over Feliciano Lopez of Spain who was seeking to become the first Spanishquarterfinalist in 30 years.
Another local favorite, No. 23 Greg Rusedski, split four sets with No. 27 Xavier Malisse of Belgium before darkness halted play. Rusedski took the first and third sets, 6-3, while Malisse took the second and fourth sets by the same scores.
Rusedski is hoping to reach the quarterfinals here for only the second time in 10 appearances. He advanced to the final eight in 1997.
Women's third seed Jennifer Capriati of the United States also had her match halted by darkness. Capriati split two sets with Eleni Daniilidou of Greece, 6-1, 3-6.
Capriati has advanced to the semifinals in her last six majors, winning three. Her latest Grand Slam title came at the Australian Open in January.
Daniilidou claimed her first career WTA Tour title at 's-Hertogenbosch, defeating four seeds en route to the championship, but has lost both her career meetings with Capriati.
A pair of former finalists advanced as fourth seed Monica Seles of the United States def. No. 20 Tamarine Tanasugarn of Thailand, 6-2, 6-2, and No. 6 Justin Henin of Belgium ousted No. 12 Elena Dementieva of Russia, 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-5).
Seles improved to 5-0 against Tanasugarn while Henin has won both her career matchups with Dementieva. Seles will face Dementieva in the quarterfinals.
Seventh-seeded Jelena Dokic of Yugoslavia had her quest for the title derailed by No. 11 Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia, 6-4, 7-5. No. 9 Amelie Mauresmo of France bounced American qualifier Laura Granville, 6-2, 6-2.
Mauresmo will face the winner of the Capriati-Daniilidou match in the quarterfinals. Hantuchova gets Serena Williams in the next round.
In a men's match, No. 22 Nicolas Lapentti of Ecuador rallied to eliminate France's Arnaud Clement, 3-6, 7-5, 2-6, 7-5, 6-3. Lapentti has played 19 sets in his four matches.
Other men's action saw No. 28 David Nalbandian of Argentina top hard-serving Australian Wayne Arthurs, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4), 2-6, 7-6 (9-7). Nalbandian faces Lapentti in the quarterfinals.
