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Williams Advances and Will Face Upstart for Rogers Cup Title | |
(35 minutes later) | |
TORONTO — Top-ranked Serena Williams reached the final of the Rogers Cup after a tough 7-6 (3), 6-4 victory against fourth-ranked Agnieszka Radwanska on Saturday night. | TORONTO — Top-ranked Serena Williams reached the final of the Rogers Cup after a tough 7-6 (3), 6-4 victory against fourth-ranked Agnieszka Radwanska on Saturday night. |
“I was just a little frustrated with myself,” Williams said. “I don’t think I was playing as aggressive as I needed to play. I let her play her game, which is what she wanted to do, but I wasn’t able to play my game as much.” | “I was just a little frustrated with myself,” Williams said. “I don’t think I was playing as aggressive as I needed to play. I let her play her game, which is what she wanted to do, but I wasn’t able to play my game as much.” |
Williams will face 27th-ranked Sorana Cirstea of Romania on Sunday. Williams is seeking her third win at this event, having won in 2001 and in 2011. | |
Williams, who has not lost a set at this year’s tournament, appeared ill between sets. | |
“I just had a little stomach issue,” she said. “I’ll be fine. I’m already feeling a lot better.” | “I just had a little stomach issue,” she said. “I’ll be fine. I’m already feeling a lot better.” |
Radwanska, a 24-year-old from Poland, traded breaks with Williams twice in the first set. Radwanska led, 6-5, but Williams forced a tiebreaker, during which she hammered a crosscourt winner for a 6-3 advantage. Williams, 31, then hit an ace on set point. | Radwanska, a 24-year-old from Poland, traded breaks with Williams twice in the first set. Radwanska led, 6-5, but Williams forced a tiebreaker, during which she hammered a crosscourt winner for a 6-3 advantage. Williams, 31, then hit an ace on set point. |
“The tiebreak, I just tried to take advantage of my serve as well as her serve,” Williams said. “I don’t think I played my best.” | “The tiebreak, I just tried to take advantage of my serve as well as her serve,” Williams said. “I don’t think I played my best.” |
Williams, the tournament’s top seed, fell behind by 3-1 in the second set but won five of the next six games. She won a 10-minute game, pulling ahead by 5-4, and broke Radwanska, finishing the match in 1 hour 52 minutes. | Williams, the tournament’s top seed, fell behind by 3-1 in the second set but won five of the next six games. She won a 10-minute game, pulling ahead by 5-4, and broke Radwanska, finishing the match in 1 hour 52 minutes. |
Earlier in the day, Cirstea, 23, continued her strong play at the tournament, upsetting fourth-seeded Li Na, 6-1, 7-6 (5). | Earlier in the day, Cirstea, 23, continued her strong play at the tournament, upsetting fourth-seeded Li Na, 6-1, 7-6 (5). |
In the past week, Cirstea upset the former No. 1 players Jelena Jankovic and Caroline Wozniacki along with the defending tournament champion and sixth seed, Petra Kvitova. | |
“She plays really tough,” Williams said of Cirstea. “She hits really hard. She has a good serve. She moves well, so she’s definitely not an easy player to play. Last few months, she’s been really consistent, and she’s just a player that’s finally found herself." | |
RAONIC WINS ALL-CANADIAN SEMIFINAL Milos Raonic beat his fellow Canadian Vasek Pospisil, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (4), to reach the Rogers Cup final in Montreal. Raonic, Canada’s top-ranked player, will face Rafael Nadal, who defeated the two-time defending champion, Novak Djokovic, later Saturday. Nadal won, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (2). | |
Raonic, a 22-year-old from Thornhill, Ontario, will crack the top 10 in the next world rankings after reaching the final of a Masters series event. The last Canadian to win the event was Robert Bedard, who took the last of his three titles in 1958. | Raonic, a 22-year-old from Thornhill, Ontario, will crack the top 10 in the next world rankings after reaching the final of a Masters series event. The last Canadian to win the event was Robert Bedard, who took the last of his three titles in 1958. |
“They’re all very special, but I think the top-10 one stands out more just because it’s a goal that I set this year,” Raonic said. “It looked a little bit difficult after how I played recently, but to do it here in Montreal is a relief and it’s a happy feeling.” | “They’re all very special, but I think the top-10 one stands out more just because it’s a goal that I set this year,” Raonic said. “It looked a little bit difficult after how I played recently, but to do it here in Montreal is a relief and it’s a happy feeling.” |
On the final point of the third-set tiebreaker, the 11th-seeded Raonic stretched to get to Pospisil’s shot at the net, forcing his opponent to make a lunging volley that went into the net. | On the final point of the third-set tiebreaker, the 11th-seeded Raonic stretched to get to Pospisil’s shot at the net, forcing his opponent to make a lunging volley that went into the net. |
“I was winning most of the points from the baseline once the rallies were started,” said Pospisil, a 23-year-old from Vernon, British Columbia. “The tiebreak got away from me a little bit there at the end, a couple of loose points. But I went for it. No regrets. I didn’t want to lose the match playing defensively. I tried to go for it even with the nerves that there were. This time, it didn’t work out, but that’s the right way for me to go.” (AP) | “I was winning most of the points from the baseline once the rallies were started,” said Pospisil, a 23-year-old from Vernon, British Columbia. “The tiebreak got away from me a little bit there at the end, a couple of loose points. But I went for it. No regrets. I didn’t want to lose the match playing defensively. I tried to go for it even with the nerves that there were. This time, it didn’t work out, but that’s the right way for me to go.” (AP) |