Venus Williams Books Stanford Semi-final
Muhammad Rameez Published July 23, 2016 | 12:14 PM
SAN FRANCISCO,(APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23rd july,2016) : Top-seeded Venus Williams booked her semi-final berth at the WTA hardcourt tournament in Stanford, California, on Friday with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over 17-year-old wild card CiCi Bellis. Ranked seventh in the world, the 36-year-old Williams needed only an hour to get past the 203rd-ranked Bellis in an all-American clash. Williams, who captured the most recent of her 49 singles titles in February in Taiwan, next faces another American, Alison Riske, who was leading 6-3, 0-1 when fourth-seeded Coco Vandeweghe retired from their quarter-final with a right ankle injury. Vandeweghe left the court in a wheelchair, pressing an ice pack to her ankle. Bellis, playing in her first WTA quarter-final was buoyed by an early service break. But former world number one Williams quickly regained the break and broke again with a backhand winner down the line to secure the opening set. It was all Williams in the second set as she moved a step closer to a third Stanford title to go with those she won in 2000 and 2002.
The other semi-final will pit second-seeded Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia against third-seeded Johanna Konta of Britain. Cibulkova won 11 straight games after trailing 2-5 in the opening set en route to a 7-5, 6-0 victory over Japanese fifth seed Misaki Doi. Konta defeated China's Zheng Saisai 6-2, 4-6, 6-3. Cibulkova's victory ensures she will return to the top 10 in the world rankings for the first time in more than 18 months. Her 2016 campaign has included two titles and a run to the quarter-finals at Wimbledon. "Today was really, really tough.
She was playing fast from the first ball, but once I found out what I needed to do to win I was doing the right thing all the way through the match," said Cibulkova, who won the Stanford title three years ago. "I know the court, I know the balls, I know what I have to do to go all the way here," she said.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
Selection committee dissolved over Pakistan women cricket team's poor performanc ..
Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz in police uniform at Chung police center
Currency Rate In Pakistan - Dollar, Euro, Pound, Riyal Rates On 25 April 2024
Today Gold Rate in Pakistan 25 April 2024
Mired in crisis, Boeing reports another loss
Session Awarding Ceremony 2024 held at Cadet College Muzaffarabad
Austrian ski great Hirscher to make comeback under Dutch flag
Pakistan, Japan agrees to convene 'Economic Policy Dialogue'
FM Dar conveys deepest sympathy on torrential rains devastation in UAE
Spain PM Sanchez says weighing resignation after wife's graft probe
Tennis: ATP/WTA Madrid Open results - 1st update
Long-lost Klimt portrait auctioned off for 30 mn euros
More Stories From Sports
-
Mohsin Naqvi reconstitutes women’s selection committee
12 minutes ago -
Selection committee dissolved over Pakistan women cricket team's poor performance
1 hour ago -
Paris holds its breath for Olympic swimming events in murky Seine
4 hours ago -
Austrian ski great Hirscher to make comeback under Dutch flag
13 hours ago -
Tennis: ATP/WTA Madrid Open results - 1st update
14 hours ago -
Osaka seals first win on clay since 2022 in Madrid
14 hours ago
-
Watford hire Cleverley as permanent boss
14 hours ago -
Karachi, Lahore, Multan win matches of National Women’s Cricket Tournament
14 hours ago -
No communication gap among players, asserts Babar Azam
14 hours ago -
Bracewell looks ahead to Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan
14 hours ago -
Bolt named ICC Men’s T20 WC 2024 ambassador
15 hours ago -
Kewell's Yokohama beat Ulsan to reach Asian Champions League final
16 hours ago