Schiavone to face Davenport in Bali

Schiavone to face Davenport in Bali

Bruce Emond, The Jakarta Post, Nusa Dua, Bali

Top seed Lindsay Davenport was on cruise control in her
Wismilak International semifinal on Saturday, with never-say-die
Italian Francesca Schiavone beating the odds and reaching the
final as well.

The American, getting better with every match at the
US$225,000 hard court tennis tournament, knew she would have to
put the pressure on China's Na Li from the outset of their match.

The women exchanged breaks in the opening two games before Li
held, but Davenport quickly picked up the pace to keep the
seventh seed pinned behind the baseline.

From 1-2, Davenport won eight consecutive games, including
eliminating three game points on Li's serve at 2-0 to break.

Although Li immediately broke back, the American did the same
in the next game and effectively ended the Chinese campaign.

She sealed a 6-2, 6-2 victory in 69 minutes.

"I was ready to go tonight. I thought I was playing well but
she was hanging in there," the 29-year-old said of the early
games.

"I know she likes to dictate play, so I tried to control
things."

She will meet fourth-seeded Schiavone, who came out the winner
after all had seemed lost against second seed Patty Schnyder.

The 26-year-old Schnyder dominated most of the match, breaking
the Italian's serve three times in a 6-1 first set, and again in
her opening service game in the second.

Crowd favorite Schiavone seemed unable to get a read on
Schnyder's looping lefty groundstrokes, with mistimed shots
sailing out and into the tramlines.

She battled to avoid going down two breaks in the second set
after trailing 0-30 at 2-4, and then Schnyder failed to convert
on a game point at 4-3 on her serve.

At deuce in the same game, the world number 11 mangled a low
forehand volley, then served a double fault to hand the Italian
the game.

Although Schnyder later said that she felt unwell from the
beginning of the second set, she could still rally to two break
points at 4-4.

With the fighting spirit that endeared her to fans here after
two earlier tough three setters, Schiavone recouped to force
deuce.

She won the game to go out front for the first time in the
match, while Schnyder called for the trainer and took a six-
minute medical timeout.

Although Schnyder saved two set points before Schiavone held
to take the set 6-4, the Swiss player quickly walked over to the
Italian and quit when the match was 78 minutes old.

"I was feeling dizzy and I couldn't coordinate what my legs
and what my hands were doing ... I felt like a beginner out
there," Schnyder said, adding that she had experienced similar
symptoms when she lost in the heat to Natalie Dechy at the
Australian Open in January.

"... I don't think I was eating enough because of the heat,"
she said.

Both Schiavone and Davenport said Bali was a great venue for a
tournament, although the heat and humidity presented difficult
playing conditions.

"It's nice to be in Bali, but you need to watch what you eat
and drink," the Italian said.

Davenport, who beat Schiavone 6-4, 6-1, in their only career
meeting on carpet in Moscow last year, knows what to watch out
for in Sunday's final.

"Her trait is her fighting ability. (Schiavone) may be down
but she will always fight to the end..."