Serena wins torrid tie

American tennis star Serena Williams celebrates after beating Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark at the Sydney International yesterday.Photo: AFP

World number two Serena Williams saved three match points to win a torrid three-setter against Danish teenager Caroline Wozniacki and claim her place in the semifinals of the Sydney WTA International on Wednesday.
The American nine-time Grand Slam champion was taken to the brink in a 2hr 40min dogfight by the 18-year-old Wozniacki, before Williams prevailed, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 7-6 (7/3).
Wozniacki, the youngest player in the women's draw, held three match points but Williams fought back to take the final set into a tiebreaker, which she nervelessly claimed seven points to three.
It was the second time this week that Williams has had to fight off match points, having saved four in her first-round win over Australian Samantha Stosur.
Williams has now battled back from match point down and gone on to win eight times in her career, five of them in Australia, and only once has she failed to go on and win the tournament from that position.
Williams now has a semifinal on Thursday with Russian world number four Elena Dementieva, who battled for 2hr 43min in fierce afternoon heat before dousing Polish sixth seed Agnieszka Radwanska 6-2, 5-7, 6-4.
"I was a little tight, but it was just more my mistakes," Williams said. "I really should've closed it off in two sets and I'm not really happy with the way I played today.
"I've watched her (Wozniacki) a lot, and she played totally different from what I've seen her play. I think this is the best she's ever played in her life really. Hopefully, she'll keep it up."
Russian second seed Dinara Safina reached the semifinals of the Sydney tournament for the first time after wearing down tenacious French opponent Alize Cornet, 6-3, 6-4.
Safina will play world number 29 Ai Sugiyama in the semifinals after the Japanese player's walkover thanks to Svetlana Kuznetsova's abdominal strain.
It was the first time Wozniacki, ranked 12, had played the American superstar, but she broke Williams' serve five times and looked every part a top player of the future with her wonderful groundstrokes.
Earlier in the day, the score belied the on-court battle with Safina taking 1hr 48 min to subdue 18-year-old Cornet in scorching temperatures hovering around 36 Celsius (97 Fahrenheit).
Safina, like the majority of the overseas competitors, is hitting the height of an Australian summer after preparing in a freezing mid-winter Europe and she felt the effects of the strength-sapping heat.
"Obviously, you cannot prepare in Europe with the same conditions as the sun," she said. "I'm just trying to get as fit as I can. I was running a lot to get fitter, and that's all. Basically, there's not much you can do.
"It's now just a matter of getting used to the weather, because the body is ready."
Safina described the conditions, similar to what she is likely to experience in Melbourne, as tougher than those at the US Open.
Sugiyama leads Safina 3-2, but the Russian has won their last two meetings.