Schiavone to face Davenport in Bali<\/p>\n
Bruce Emond, The Jakarta Post, Nusa Dua, Bali<\/p>\n
Top seed Lindsay Davenport was on cruise control in her
\nWismilak International semifinal on Saturday, with never-say-die
\nItalian Francesca Schiavone beating the odds and reaching the
\nfinal as well.<\/p>\n
The American, getting better with every match at the
\nUS$225,000 hard court tennis tournament, knew she would have to
\nput the pressure on China's Na Li from the outset of their match.<\/p>\n
The women exchanged breaks in the opening two games before Li
\nheld, but Davenport quickly picked up the pace to keep the
\nseventh seed pinned behind the baseline.<\/p>\n
From 1-2, Davenport won eight consecutive games, including
\neliminating three game points on Li's serve at 2-0 to break.<\/p>\n
Although Li immediately broke back, the American did the same
\nin the next game and effectively ended the Chinese campaign.<\/p>\n
She sealed a 6-2, 6-2 victory in 69 minutes.<\/p>\n
\"I was ready to go tonight. I thought I was playing well but
\nshe was hanging in there,\" the 29-year-old said of the early
\ngames.<\/p>\n
\"I know she likes to dictate play, so I tried to control
\nthings.\"<\/p>\n
She will meet fourth-seeded Schiavone, who came out the winner
\nafter all had seemed lost against second seed Patty Schnyder.<\/p>\n
The 26-year-old Schnyder dominated most of the match, breaking
\nthe Italian's serve three times in a 6-1 first set, and again in
\nher opening service game in the second.<\/p>\n
Crowd favorite Schiavone seemed unable to get a read on
\nSchnyder's looping lefty groundstrokes, with mistimed shots
\nsailing out and into the tramlines.<\/p>\n
She battled to avoid going down two breaks in the second set
\nafter trailing 0-30 at 2-4, and then Schnyder failed to convert
\non a game point at 4-3 on her serve.<\/p>\n
At deuce in the same game, the world number 11 mangled a low
\nforehand volley, then served a double fault to hand the Italian
\nthe game.<\/p>\n
Although Schnyder later said that she felt unwell from the
\nbeginning of the second set, she could still rally to two break
\npoints at 4-4.<\/p>\n
With the fighting spirit that endeared her to fans here after
\ntwo earlier tough three setters, Schiavone recouped to force
\ndeuce.<\/p>\n
She won the game to go out front for the first time in the
\nmatch, while Schnyder called for the trainer and took a six-
\nminute medical timeout.<\/p>\n
Although Schnyder saved two set points before Schiavone held
\nto take the set 6-4, the Swiss player quickly walked over to the
\nItalian and quit when the match was 78 minutes old.<\/p>\n
\"I was feeling dizzy and I couldn't coordinate what my legs
\nand what my hands were doing ... I felt like a beginner out
\nthere,\" Schnyder said, adding that she had experienced similar
\nsymptoms when she lost in the heat to Natalie Dechy at the
\nAustralian Open in January.<\/p>\n
\"... I don't think I was eating enough because of the heat,\"
\nshe said.<\/p>\n
Both Schiavone and Davenport said Bali was a great venue for a
\ntournament, although the heat and humidity presented difficult
\nplaying conditions.<\/p>\n
\"It's nice to be in Bali, but you need to watch what you eat
\nand drink,\" the Italian said.<\/p>\n
Davenport, who beat Schiavone 6-4, 6-1, in their only career
\nmeeting on carpet in Moscow last year, knows what to watch out
\nfor in Sunday's final.<\/p>\n
\"Her trait is her fighting ability. (Schiavone) may be down
\nbut she will always fight to the end...\"<\/p>",
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