Football
Associated Press 19y

Mattek only remaining American in tourney

MASON, Ohio -- Qualifier Beth Mattek upset third-seeded
Jelena Jankovic of Serbia 6-1, 0-6, 6-2 to move into the semifinals
of the Cincinnati Women's Open on Friday.
Mattek, the only remaining American in the tournament, is
playing in her first main draw of a WTA event this year. She failed
to convert three match points before hitting a forehand winner to
reach a semifinal for the first time in her career. She had never
even reached the quarterfinals since turning pro in November 1999.
"It's really good for my confidence," said Mattek, who will
play top-seeded Patty Schnyder in Saturday's semifinals. "I've
worked really hard for this. I know how good I can be."
Jankovic was broken in the first game of the third set after
leading 40-0.
"I just felt like my game wasn't there today, especially at the
beginning," she said. "I made too many mistakes. I gave it to
her. I let down and she was fighting and running and getting balls
back."
Mattek's win over the 19th-ranked Jankovic was the first of her
career over a top-20 opponent.
Schnyder moved on with a 7-6 (1), 6-2 win over Israel's Shahar
Peer. Fourth-seeded Daniela Hantuchova fought back from a set down
to advance with a 6-7 (1), 6-4, 6-1 victory over South Korean Yoon
Jeong Cho.
Hantuchova will play Japan's Akiko Morigami on Saturday.
Morigami eliminated Indian teenager Sania Mirza 6-4, 6-3 to make a
WTA semifinal for the first time this year.
Hantuchova, of Slovakia, won the second set after earning a
break to take a 4-3 lead. After both players returned to the locker
room for a 10-minute break from the heat, she broke Cho again in
the first game of the third set to take an early lead on the way to
her second semifinal berth of the year.
"We both needed to get into the shade," Hantuchova said. "It
was getting ridiculous out there. I felt like I had so much energy
(after the break), I could have gone another set."
Cho, playing in her second quarterfinal of the year, fought off
five set points in the first set -- three after falling behind 0-40
while trailing 4-5 -- before winning in a tiebreaker.
"In the first set, I took so many chances," Hantuchova said.
"I was trying to do too much, and I made too many mistakes. In the
second set, I was just trying to make sure to hold my serve and
look for a chance to break her. I felt like she was getting tired
in the third set. I felt very good at the end."
Morigami followed up her upset of second-seeded Vera Zvonareva
of Russia on Thursday by gaining revenge for her loss to Mirza in
the first round of this year's Wimbledon.
"When I lost to her at Wimbledon, I wasn't very aggressive,"
said Morigami, whose ranking of 72nd is two spots below the
18-year-old Mirza's. "I was always defensive. Today was pretty
much the same as yesterday. I was focused and aggressive. Beating
Vera definitely gave me confidence. It's not always about the
results, but I was very happy with the way I played yesterday and
then in this match."
Schnyder, of Switzerland, uncorked a career-best 117 mph serve
for one of her five aces on the way to her fifth semifinal of the
year.
"It's always nice to get a personal best," Schnyder said.
"It's better when you win."

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