Into Wimbledon Semifinals
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14 Wednesday 1st July, 2009 Siddle wants new ball and a word Venus, Safina with Pietersen The pressure on Brett Lee has lifted another notch with in-form quick Peter Siddle saying he wants the new ball, as the pre-series niggle between Australia and England escalated. Lee did not strike with the new ball in the first tour match and while Siddle inked his name into the team with his and Dementieva “grunt” as a first-change bowler, he remains in contention to open the bowling with Mitchell Johnson if Lee’s struggles continue. Siddle said he would not relax just because he has into Wimbledon semifinals been locked into the Test attack and would not take a backward step in the expected “war” with Kevin Pietersen Williams had her left leg taped up again but and his fellow England batsmen. “There is always a good little war showed no weakness at all as she ripped 29 between you and the two batsmen out winners - compared to six for Radwanska - there,” Siddle said. “It brings a chal- lenge but as long as you can back it up in a match that lasted just 68 minutes on a and in the end be the successful one sunbaked Court 1. “I can’t complain,” out of the little war that’s going on, Williams said. “I’m in the semifinals of that’s what you want. “I’m pretty sure there’s going to be Wimbledon, right where I want to be. I just a little bit said on the field and need to take another step forward.” Pietersen is a pretty confident lad, he likes to say a bit, so I’m sure there will Williams will next face top-ranked Dinara be a few run-ins between us and him. Safina, who overcame 15 double-faults and “It’s a big series but I don’t get too beat German teenager Sabine Lisicki 6-7 (5), overwhelmed and it will be exciting if I get the new ball, but it’s going to be a 6-4, 6-1 to reach the Wimbledon semifinals tough battle. Hopefully I get the oppor- for the first time. “I was Santa Claus on the tunity with the new ball at times. I have back home in Australia and [then] court, serving so many double-faults,” said I missed out in South Africa. If I’m Safina, who served three straight doubles in bowling first, second change or open- one game in the third set. ing the bowling, I’ll be quite happy as long as I’m in that side.” England returned from a team- sisters were the only two Grand the world despite never having won a bonding visit to Flanders Field, Slam winners left in the women’s Grand Slam title, struggled against Belgium, to find the pre-Ashes hostili- field - Serena has 10 major titles and the 19-year-old Lisicki. The Russian ties well under way and that Paul Venus seven. had to come from behind after dou- Collingwood was the target of yet Safina, who has risen to No. 1 in ble-faulting to lose the first set another Shane Warne spray. Warne famously sledged Collingwood during the previous Ashes for accepting an MBE for his one inaus- picious Test in the 2005 series, and the retired Australian has latterly derided him for unimaginative captaincy in the Twenty20 world championships. “I think England will be looking for- ward to having Andrew Strauss back at the helm,” Warne sniped. “I think he was too busy trying to drive his Aston Martin and fly around in helicopters Venus Williams of the U.S. plays a return to Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland, during their quar- than trying to work on his captaincy.” terfinal match at Wimbledon, Tuesday, June 30, 2009. (AP) Collingwood insists the England players are now better prepared to by Stephen Wilson sisters have met in three Wimbledon stand up to Australia than they were finals, including last year, and are on before the 5-0 thrashing of 2006-07. WIMBLEDON, England (AP) - course for a fourth title meeting. “As a team, England can stand up to Five-time champion Venus Williams “That would be fantastic,” Venus sledging,” Collingwood said “If the said. “That’s what Serena and I are overpowered Agnieszka Radwanska opportunity comes around, if some- 6-1, 6-2 on Tuesday to reach the hoping for.” thing needs to be said, then we’ll back Wimbledon semifinals and move a Venus Williams is trying to step closer to another possible cham- become the first woman since Steffi each other up. As a team England can pionship showdown with sister Graf in 1991-93 to win three stand up to sledging. If the opportunity Serena. Wimbledon titles in a row. comes around, if something needs to Williams, seeking her third Only once in the last nine years be said, then we’ll back each other up. has there been a Wimbledon straight Wimbledon title, outhit the We won’t go looking for it, we just 14th-ranked Pole from all parts of women’s final that didn’t feature at Dinara Safina of Russia reacts, as she defeats Sabine Lisicki of Germany, in their the court and proved again that she least one of the Williams sisters. The women’s singles, quarterfinal match at Wimbledon, Tuesday, June 30, 2009. (AP) want to perform well. Australia are is the dominant female player on very good at it. I played a lot of cricket grass. tiebreaker, smashing her racket to out there as a youngster, initially in Williams had her left leg taped up the turf and drawing a warning from 1996, and they come hard at you. The again but showed no weakness at all the chair umpire. youngsters do it. You feel that as a as she ripped 29 winners - compared Safina was down 3-2 on serve in player, as an individual going out to to six for Radwanska - in a match the second set, but got the one break that lasted just 68 minutes on a sun- in the seventh game to force a third bat in their country. It’s very much a baked Court 1. set. The 41st-ranked Lisicki received part of their culture.” “I can’t complain,” Williams said. treatment on her right calf after Collingwood does not expect life to “I’m in the semifinals of Wimbledon, going down 4-1 in the third. In the be much easier now that Warne is con- right where I want to be. I just need next game, Safina was up 40-0 before fined to the commentary box. “Shane to take another step forward.” serving three straight double-faults. Williams will next face top- She still managed to hold and then has gone but I’m sure there will be ranked Dinara Safina, who overcame broke for the match. someone else for me.” (SMH) 15 double-faults and beat German “I was tough mentally, that was teenager Sabine Lisicki 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6- the key today,” Safina said. 1 to reach the Wimbledon semifinals Dementieva, meanwhile, grabbed for the first time. a 5-0 lead in the first set against the “I was Santa Claus on the court, 43rd-ranked Schiavone and converted Kodituwakku and serving so many double-faults,” said both of her break points in the sec- Safina, who served three straight ond to seal the win in 66 minutes. Jayasinghe for doubles in one game in the third set. Dementieva also reached the In the bottom half of the draw, Wimbledon semifinals last year. She No. 4 Elena Dementieva beat Italy’s is still looking for her first major Russian boxing meet Francesca Schiavone 6-2, 6-2 to set up title after being runner-up at both a semifinal encounter with two-time the French Open and U.S. Open in Anusha Kodituwakku and Nilmini champion Serena Williams or 2004. Jayasinghe will represent Sri Lanka Victoria Azarenka. The men’s quarterfinals are set at the Russian International Women’s Venus Williams raced to a 5-0 lead for Wednesday with five-time cham- Boxing championship which com- against Radwanska, and finished off pion Roger Federer against 6-foot-10 mences July 7 at St. Petersburg, the first set with back-to-back aces. Croat Ivo Karlovic; No. 3 Andy Russia. Williams dropped only two of 18 Murray vs. Spanish wild card Juan Hemantha Weerasinghe, General points on serve in the set. Carlos Ferrero; 2002 champion Secretary, Amateur Boxing Radwanska managed to win the Lleyton Hewitt vs. two-time finalist first two games of the second set, but Andy Roddick; and No. 3 Novak Association, Sri Lanka told ‘The Williams regained command and ran Djokovic vs. Tommy Haas. Island’ that boxers for the above off six straight to finish the match, Temperatures topped 30 degrees championship have been selected ending with a clean forehand winner. (90 degrees f) on Tuesday, with no according to their performance at last “She was serving and hitting the need to close the roof on Centre year’s National Championship. ball so strong,” Radwanska said. Court. Kodituwakku, who won a gold “Her tennis is so powerful. Today she On Monday, the retractable roof medal at the Asian Women’s Boxing was playing so good, it was very hard was closed for the first time and to do anything. If she will play like Murray beat Stanislas Warwrinka in Championship in 2005, represented this, she will (win) one more time a five-setter that finished at 10:39 Sri Lanka together with Jayasinghe this tournament.” p.m.