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.