Davenport proceeds to semifinal

Davenport proceeds to semifinal

Bruce Emond, The Jakarta Post/Nusa Dua, Bali

When Lindsay Davenport is in free flow, with her serve
thundering down and crisp groundstrokes skirting the baseline,
few players can keep her in check.

It was the case on Friday evening at the US$225,000 Wismilak
International here, with a dominant Davenport sweeping aside
Italy's Maria Elena Camerin 6-3, 6-1 to reach the last four.

The top seed and world number two still made mistakes -- most
notably four quick unforced errors in the first game and a gimme
high forehand volley that she smacked out later in the set -- but
she could always rely on her trusty weapons.

Her performance was in contrast to her patchy play in her
second round match against Rika Fujiwara of Japan on Wednesday,
and it was her serve that did particular damage. She lost one
point in her first three service games and, after falling behind
0-40 at 4-3, she saved four break points to hold.

Camerin, a 23 year old semifinalist here last year, was
angered by an umpire overrule at 1-1, her advantage, in the first
set after a Davenport forehand landed close to the sideline. Even
without the racket slamming and anguished appeals that ensued,
it's highly doubtful she could have penetrated the American
fortress.

With the Davenport serve rarely missing, coupled with deep,
pounding groundstrokes, the hapless Italian was forced to hit off
her back foot most of the time.

"I played quite well tonight but I still think I can do
better," the 29-year-old Californian, who received a bye in the
first round, said.

Next up in the semifinals on Saturday is seventh seed Na Li of
China, who defeated Ukraine's Alona Bondarenko, the conqueror of
third seeded Alicia Molik, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.

"She played very well, she moves well and has a good
backhand," Davenport said of Li, who she beat 6-4, 6-4 two weeks
ago during the U.S. Open in their only career meeting. "I was
impressed."

If Li and her three compatriots who made the main draw have
been one of the stories of the week, another has been the
Italians. Apart from Camerin, there was the all-Italian
quarterfinal between sixth seed Flavia Pennetta and fourth seed
Francesca Schiavone.

A tight, competitive contest between two friends, it stretched
to two hours, 36 minutes before Pennetta failed to convert on a
point to hold at 5-5 in the third set, leaving Schiavone to grab
her second break point. She then served out the match for a 5-7,
6-3, 7-5 victory.

With her never-say-die attitude on court, muscular physique
and quick humor, Schiavone has been a hit with fans and the local
media. "This is who I am. I'm the same off the court as I am on
it," the 25 year old from Milan said on Friday.

She plays second seeded Patty Schnyder of Switzerland on
Saturday. The 26 year old did what was needed to beat an erratic
Aiko Nakamura of Japan 6-4, 6-1, the latter slamming a low smash
into the net on matchpoint.

"She's a fighter. I know that she will try to use her spin to
move me around the court," said Schnyder, who holds a 2-1
head-to-head record against the Italian, winning their last
encounter 6-4 in the third set in San Diego in August.