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| Saturday, February 16 Williams, Henin reach Diamond Games final Associated Press |
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ANTWERP, Belgium -- Top-seeded Venus Williams advanced to the final of the WTA Diamond Games on Saturday, downing Amelie Mauresmo 7-6 (7), 6-0. Williams will face second-seeded Belgian Justine Henin, who beat a surprisingly strong Patty Schnyder of Switzerland 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 in Sunday's final. The win was Williams' second over Mauresmo in as many tournaments. The two played a thrilling semifinal at the Gaz de France last weekend in Paris, which Williams won 4-6, 7-6 (3), 7-5. The first set Saturday turned into a grueling volley match, to the delight of the 12,000-capacity crowd at the Antwerp Sportspaleis. With Williams' strong serves versus Mauresmo's aggressive returns, each point was a duel. "It was so difficult to play against Amelie, she has improved so much. The first set was so difficult with the service games," Williams said. Eager to put her opponent out of contention, Williams started the second set with some impressive crosscourt shots using the net to score early points. Second-seeded Henin also had a hard time in her semifinal. Schnyder, ranked 41st in the world, proved she was no pushover, dominating early play against local fan-favorite Henin. "I was afraid the match was slipping through my fingers, and I tried to stay calm," Henin said. "I was not playing my game, so I had to get focused. Thankfully it came together." In the second set, Schnyder continued her aggressive play, but with the crowd behind her, Henin finally got her game going. The Belgian closed the door in the second set with a border line volley return that secured her a 6-3 win. The winner of Sunday's final will have a chance to earn a diamond-encrusted gold racket worth about $870,000, given to any player who wins this tournament three times in five years. |
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