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| April 16, 2006 | Sunday | Rabi-ul-Awwal 17, 1427 |
Haas rallies to oust defending champion Roddick
HOUSTON, April 15: Germany's Tommy Haas rallied to beat top seed and defending champion Andy Roddick 6-7 (1-7) 6-4 6-4 in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Clay Court championships on Friday.
The fifth seed needed two hours and 11 minutes to see off Roddick and advance to his fourth semi-final of the year.
It was a rare defeat on Houston clay for Roddick, who has claimed the title three times and came into the match with a record of 25-2 in the event.
Haas, who beat Roddick in the 2004 final, will next meet American wildcard Mardy Fish in Saturday's semis.
Fish also needed to rally from a set down to dispose of compatriot Vince Spadea 4-6 7-6 (7-1) 6-2.
It will mark Fish's first semi-final appearance since 2004 in Halle where he lost to Germany's Rainer Schuettler.
Seventh seed Paul Goldstein reached his second semi-final of the year with a tidy 6-3 6-4 win over the Spain's Albert Montanes.
The 29-year-old American needed 78 minutes to ease past the Spaniard to move within one win of reaching his first career final.
Goldstein will next meet Austria's Jurgen Melzer, who booked his semifinal place with a 7-5 6-4 win over Spain's Fernando Vicente.
“Today's match against a guy who grew up on clay for me is a great effort,” said Goldstein. “It's one of my better wins.
“For a guy who's more comfortable on hard courts to beat a Spanish guy who loves the clay is a very satisfying win.”
Results (quarterfinals):
5-Tommy Haas (Germany) beat 1-Andy Roddick (U.S.) 6-7(1) 6-4 6-4; Mardy Fish (U.S.) beat Vince Spadea (U.S.) 4-6 7-6(1) 6-2; Juergen Melzer (Austria) beat Fernando Vicente (Spain) 7-5 6-4; 7-Paul Goldstein (U.S.) beat Albert Montanes (Spain) 6-3 6-4
PETROVA IN SEMIS
CHARLESTON: Nadia Petrova, who is seeking back-to-back WTA Tour titles, will play her doubles partner Anna-Lena Groenefeld in the semifinals of the Family Circle Cup.
Russian second seed Petrova advanced Friday with a commanding 6-2 6-0 victory over unseeded Colombian Catalina Castano to set up a clash with the in-form sixth seed Groenefeld.
Hard-serving German Groenefeld survived 13 double faults to get by fourth seed and 2004 U.S. Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-3 7-6 (7-4).
Top seed and defending champion Justine Henin-Hardenne will play Patty Schnyder in the other semi-final.
Henin-Hardenne defeated Russia's Dinara Safina 6-4 6-1 to give her a 14-0 career record on Charleston's green clay. Schnyder, 0-6 against Henin-Hardenne, eliminated France's Nathalie Dechy 6-0 6-3.
Petrova needed only 61 minutes to oust Castano.
“I really dominated my games,” said Petrova, who won last week at Amelia Island.
“I had everything in my hands. She played a few good points but I must say I just didn't let her play the tennis she likes.
She likes the heavy balls, to move a lot on the court. I just tried to make the points as short as possible.”
Petrova is 3-1 against Gronefeld in singles competition and the two have not met in 2006. They won their doubles match on Friday, defeating Liezel Huber and Kveta Peschke to advance to the semifinals.
Groenefeld has won 14 of her last 17 matches on tour and was glad to get through despite the glitches.
“I hit a lot of double faults,” she said, “but overall I think I played very aggressive, hit a lot of good shots, winners. I was always inside the court and not letting her dictate. That I think was the key.”
Results (quarterfinals):
3-Patty Schnyder (Switzerland) beat 8-Nathalie Dechy (France) 6-0 6-3; 1-Justine Henin-Hardenne (Belgium) beat 7-Dinara Safina (Russia) 6-4 6-1; 6-Anna-Lena Groenefeld (Germany) beat 4-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) 6-3 7-6(4); 2-Nadia Petrova (Russia) beat Catalina Castano (Colombia) 6-2 6-0 —Agencies
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