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Semi-tough Henin rips Martinez to reach another Slam final four
Updated: Tuesday July 03, 2001 10:43 AM
LONDON (Reuters) -- Belgian teenager Justine Henin destroyed Spain's Conchita Martinez 6-1, 6-0 to reach the Wimbledon semifinals for the first time on Tuesday. The 19-year-old eighth seed won 12 straight games to embarrass the 1994 champion on court one in a desperately one-sided quarter-final which lasted 57 minutes. After holding her serve in the first game of the match 29-year-old Martinez did not win another thanks to a combination of her own ineptness and a series of blistering backhands from Henin. The Belgian, who reached the French Open semifinals last month, faces the winner of the all-American Centre Court clash between Jennifer Capriati and Serena Williams in the last four. The first meeting between Henin and Martinez was not one either of them is likely to forget. Martinez had won all three of her previous Wimbledon quarterfinals, but the last of those was in 1995 and the Spaniard looked a shadow of her former self under strong sun against Henin. The Belgian arrived fully match-hardened after twice coming from a set down to win in the earlier rounds and her granite groundstrokes soon had Martinez floundering. Martinez held her opening service game to 30, and, apart from a break point on Henin's serve at 1-2 which she wasted, it was to prove the high point of a shocking display. Double-faults and baseline errors flowed from her racket and Henin could hardly believe her luck, only rarely needing to unveil her stupendous one-handed backhand. Martinez, her first serve struggling on occasion to reach even 75 mph, double-faulted to concede set point at 1-5 and ballooned another backhand out the following point to go a set down. Henin piled on the misery by holding to love and then breaking again when Martinez sent a forehand long at the start of the second set. If the crowd began to feel sorry for the Spaniard Henin certainly did not, displaying a ruthless streak which will serve her well in future. Another unforced Martinez error on serve made it 4-0. The Belgian brought up match points with two stunning backhands down the line and a wonderful drop shot. On her fourth opportunity, Henin pressured Martinez into netting a forehand to seal one of the easiest wins of her career.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. |
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