Williams joins Davenport in final
Graf, Seles knocked off at Bank of the West
Posted: Sunday August 02, 1998 12:27 AM
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Davenport reached her first final in the Bank of the West tournament by using her consistent play to take advantage of Graf's mistakes AP |
STANFORD, California (AP) -- Venus Williams slammed 12 aces,
including one on the first point of the match and another on the
final point, to beat Monica Seles 6-3, 6-4 on Saturday night in the
Bank of the West semifinals.
Williams, seeded third, will face top-seeded Lindsay Davenport
on Sunday in the final of the $450,000 tournament. Davenport beat
Steffi Graf 6-4, 6-7 (4-7), 6-3 in an afternoon match.
Williams dominated on her serve throughout the match. Even when
she wasn't piling up aces, Williams was hitting service winners and
forcing the second-seeded Seles to virtually bunt back other
serves.
The only time Seles threatened to break Williams' serve was in
the fourth game of the second set, but Williams fought off three
break points to hold her serve.
Williams, 17-1 in tournaments in the United States this year,
went to the side of the court to receive congratulations from her
father, Richard Williams, immediately after the match.
It was the first meeting between the players.
In the first semifinal, Graf was undermined by unforced errors
and an erratic backhand. Graf's serve remains strong and her
forehand is as dangerous as ever, but a long layoff following knee
surgery has robbed her of the consistency that once was among
Graf's trademarks.
Davenport, ranked third in the world, had lost in the semifinals
of this tournament five of the previous six years. She reached her
first final in the event by using her consistent play to take
advantage of Graf's mistakes.
"I think I've picked up my game a lot, I'm a little more
consistent," Davenport said. "People say she (Graf) has been out
for a year and a half and she's not ranked that high anymore, but
it's still a good win."
Graf was seeded fourth despite falling to No. 57 in the world
since having reconstructive left knee surgery last year. The
women's tour has given her a special co-ranking of No. 7 until the
U.S. Open, allowing Graf to be seeded at this and two other
tournaments.
Graf has had a difficult recovery from the knee surgery. Her
comeback has been stalled by other injuries, and she became so
frustrated earlier this year that she considered retiring.
She said Saturday's match, which lasted more than two hours in
intense heat, was a good way of judging how far she still has to go
in her comeback.
"I haven't had a lot of matches or three setters in the past 11/2
years, so it's definitely something that makes me realize what I
have to work on," said Graf, who was cramping in both legs in the
third set. "There are a few things that I have to work on -
definitely return of serve."
Graf said she just ran out of energy in the final set.
"I wish I would have had something left in the third set," she
said. "In the third set, from 3-all on I didn't know how to move
anymore."
The players stayed on serve in the third set until Davenport
broke in the eighth game to go up 5-3. She then served out the
match, getting to match point on a net cord and wrapping up the
victory with an overhead putaway.
"It's sometimes just a matter of a few points that make the
difference in the match," Davenport said. "I was really
struggling to hold my serve the whole third set, but luckily I got
one break and it was all over."
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