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Double-duty day Serena Williams wins twice at German Open
Posted: Thursday October 14, 1999 08:46 PM
BERLIN (AP) -- Serena Williams won twice Thursday to march into the quarterfinals of the rain-plagued German Open. Afterwards, the younger of the power-hitting Williams sisters warned opponents she liked playing on slow European clay and expected to do well at the French Open, beginning in two weeks. "Clay is definitely my surface," Williams said. "Roland Garros is definitely a future win for me -- and the German Open." Williams rolled past Jennifer Capriati, 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 at the $1.05 million tournament, playing the second set of a match stopped Wednesday because of darkness. She then returned an hour later to oust a second American, Lisa Raymond, 6-1, 7-6 (7-1). Martina Hingis also breezed past Russia's Elena Lichovtseva, Russia, 6-4, 6-1. The world No. 1 stopped William's streak of reaching four straight finals with a quarterfinal win at last week's Italian Open. Third-seeded Steffi Graf advanced by struggling to a 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 win against Zimbabwe's Cara Black, while No. 4 Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario ousted fellow Spaniard and defending champion, Conchita Martinez, 6-1, 0-6, 7-5. Williams, 17, had trouble Wednesday night against Capriati, in a battle of a teenage sensation against a former one. "I didn't get my groove and I didn't expect her to come out like that," she said. "And I made a lot of wild shots." But Williams, rising to world No. 11 despite a limited schedule, rolled to a 4-0 lead when play resumed Thursday. Capriati, trying to match power, had numerous shots sail long. Capriati, now 23, hasn't survived beyond the final 16 of a tournament this season. Graf, coming back from a three-week injury layoff, needed more than an hour just to grab the first set against the talented 20-year-old Black, the sister of men's pro Byron Black. A few years ago, before the new generation of players emerged, Graf usually swept aside early round opponents in less than an hour. "That's the great thing on the tour now -- all the new players," said the former No. 1. "Now you can't assume you're going to win anymore." France's Nathalie Tauziat, seeded sixth, was beaten by Austria's Barbara Schett, losing 6-1, 4-6, 7-6 (7-5) while No. 5 Mary Pierce of France withdrew due to a thigh injury. Top-seeded Martina Hingis won the first set against Schett, also playing her second match, before rain swept the courts again. Sanchez-Vicario had to scramble back from 0-4 down against Martinez in the third set and played almost two hours, 30 minutes. That came just one day after winning the WTA tour's longest match this year, trading shots for two hours, 59 minutes against American Corina Moraiu in a three-set second-round match. "I'm used to it. That's my job," said the Spaniard. "But now I can rest." Switzerland's Patty Schnyder also advanced to the quarterfinals by beating Israel's Anna Smashnova, 2-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-1.
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