QUEBEC CITY — Venus Williams, the favourite to win the Coupe Banque Nationale in Quebec City, reached the semifinals with a 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (3) win against Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic Friday night.
Williams, ranked 19th in the world, took two hours and 10 minutes to defeat the 181st-ranked player.
Hradecka is a doubles specialist with 17 WTA doubles titles but no singles.
The American credits her win to her defensive game, saying it helped her win the final points to end the match.
Williams, 34, reached the final of the Rogers Cup in August in her first tournament in Montreal and first visit to Quebec.
She says she is enjoying her experience.
Now, Williams plans to rest before her semifinal against fellow American Shelby Rogers, seeded 4th, who beat German Tatjana Maria 6-4, 6-2 Friday night.
In the other semifinal, Mirjana Lucic-Baroni of Croatia will face Julia Goerges of Germany, seeded 5th.
Lucic-Baroni reached the semifinal with a 7-5, 6-0 win over Sesil Karatantcheva of Kazakhstan, while Goerges defeated Andrea Hlavackova of The Czech Republic 6-7 (6), 7-5, 6-2.
Comments