Ruthless Serena speeds into semifinals
Agencies, Tokyo
World number one Serena Williams was in ruthless form as she swept aside Australian Nicole Pratt 6-1 6-0 to reach the Toyota Princess Cup semifinals on Friday.
Defending champion Jelena Dokic also booked her place in the last four of the $585,000 event, the second seed crushing Tamarine Tanasugarn of Thailand 6-3 6-1 in sweltering conditions at Tokyo's Ariake Colosseum.
Williams, aiming for back-to-back titles after beating sister Venus in the US Open final, fired down seven aces and a succession of stinging service returns as the American completed a center court demolition job in just 39 minutes.
The 20-year-old, who won here on her only previous appearance in 2000, suffered a momentary lapse when she dropped her serve in the fifth game of the first set but normal service was quickly resumed.
There was also some guile to go with the power and Williams closed out with a delicate backhand lob on her first match point to set up a semi-final against her compatriot Amy Frazier on Saturday.
"I'm starting to get focused. I'm almost where I want to be for the first tournament after the US Open," said Williams, who has won six WTA titles this season, including the last three grand slams.
"It's really hard to get re-focused after such a big win but I'm getting there."
Dokic, chasing her third title of the season, raced out to a 3-0 lead against seventh seed Tanasugarn before the 19-year-old Yugoslav eventually took the opening set 6-3.
The world number four dominated completely thereafter, breaking for 3-0 after a lunging forehand pass down the line.
But she then surprisingly dropped her serve after being two points from completing a second set whitewash.
It proved to be a temporary blip, however, as Dokic completed victory after 64 minutes on her first match point with a backhand passing shot that clipped the net and landed on the baseline.
She will play third seed Kim Clijsters in an intriguing semi- final after the Belgian demolished Elena Likhovtseva of Russia 6- 2 6-2 in the day's last singles match.
"I lost to (Tanasugarn) in the Hopman Cup two years ago but today I felt comfortable and I was dictating most of the points," said Dokic, who has played most tournaments unaccompanied by father and coach Damir Dokic over the past 18 months.
"I've grown up a lot. Winning here last year was a big experience and gave me a lot of confidence. I'm more independent now and that has helped me deal with things on and off the court."
Frazier recovered from a shaky start to beat sixth seed Tatiana Panova of Russia 2-6 6-1 6-4 in the day's first quarter- final.
In Quebec, Canada, sixth seed Alexandra Stevenson advanced to the quarterfinals of the Bell Challenge on Thursday, beating Paraguay's Rossana Neffa-de los Rios 6-1, 6-4.
Stevenson will face top seed Silvia Farina Elia of Italy for a semifinal spot against Switzerland's Marie-Gaianeh Mikaelian, a 6-1, 6-1 winner over third seed Magdalena Maleeva of Bulgaria.
In other quarterfinals, Russian qualifier Anastassia Rodionova will face Germany's Marlene Weingartner, and seventh seed Elena Bovina of Russia will play Germany's Angelika Roesch.
Rodionova beat eighth seed Meilen Tu 7-6 (5), 7-5; Weingartner defeated Canada's Maureen Drake 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-4; and Bovina beat Colombia's Fabiola Zuluaga 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-3.
Roesch advanced Wednesday night, beating second seed Elena Dementieva of Russia. Farina Elia also advanced Wednesday.