Pierce, Mauresmo reach Gaz semifinals
Frenchwoman, Aussie Open champion to face Schnyder, surprising Golovin
 Philippe Wojazer / Reuters Mary Pierce returns a forehand during her victory over compatriot Emilie Loit. |
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PARIS - Top-seeded Amelie Mauresmo knocked out defending champion Dinara Safina 6-2, 6-2 Friday to advance to the semifinals of the Gaz de France.
Mauresmo, the Australian Open champion and world No. 2, will face Tatiana Golovin, an unseeded Frenchwoman who outlasted third-seeded Russian Nadia Petrova 3-6, 7-6 (9-7), 6-3 in a 2½-hour match.
“I had been longing for revenge for the match last year,” said Mauresmo, who lost to Safina in a three-set final in 2005. “I showed deep concentration and a lot of rigor in today’s match, and some calm.
“It was a bit more difficult than what the scoreboard shows. She didn’t play badly, but I countered her in almost every area.”
Mauresmo broke Safina twice, and fought off three break points at 3-2 to win the first set 6-2. Safina sent a forehand out on match point.
“I think I played well today,” Safina said. “I just missed some really important shots.”
Mary Pierce needed two tiebreakers to defeat Emilie Loit of France 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (7-4). She will face fourth-seeded Patty Schnyder, who cruised into the semifinals with a 6-3, 6-3 victory in less than an hour over fifth-seeded Elena Dementieva.
Pierce battled through a tight first set, failing to capitalize on five break points. In the tiebreaker, she converted first set point with a crosscourt forehand.
The second set was almost a repeat of the first, with Loit forcing another tiebreaker. This time, Pierce broke for a 4-0 lead. Pierce won when Loit sent a forehand into the net.
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The Schnyder-Dementieva match stayed close in the early games, with the Russian finding the lines while Schnyder stretched the angles with her heavy topspin.
“I really dominated. I stuck with my tactics and kept my concentration,” Schnyder said. “I tried to change speeds on her backhand. I served well. That helps a lot in exchanges.”
At 3-3 and 15-30, a double fault by Dementieva gave Schnyder a break point that she converted with a spectacular backhand lob to lead 4-3. Schnyder again broke Dementieva at 5-3 and 15-40 with a passing shot down the line to seal the first set.
In the second set, Schnyder gained a decisive break in the fourth game at 30-40 when Dementieva sent a backhand out for a lead 3-1.
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