NOTTINGHAM, England, 20 June 2003 — Greg Rusedski fought his way back from the brink of defeat to book his place in the semifinals of $380,000 ATP grasscourt tournament here yesterday.

The British number two, who is making his comeback from injury, recovered from a set down and a 5-2 deficit in the decider to beat former Wimbledon semifinalist Vladimir Voltchkov 4-6, 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-4). Rusedski, who won the title here in 1997, struggled with his serve as blustery winds swirled around centre court, but managed to fight back from losing the first set to take the second on a tie-break.

Arazi earlier defeated last year’s beaten finalist Wayne Arthurs of Australia in straight sets 6-4, 6-3, with today’s other semifinal between defending champion Jonas Bjorkman and American Mardy Fish.

Number eight seed Fish defeated German Alexander Popp 4-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 while Bjorkman was handed a walkover when American Taylor Dent pulled out with a back injury.

Martinez Ousts Hantuchova

but Capriati Prevails

In Eastbourne, England, experience and guile overcame youth yesterday when 31-year-old Conchita Martinez swept aside rising talent Daniela Hantuchova 6-2, 6-3 in the quarterfinals of the Eastbourne grasscourt tournament.

Third seed Jennifer Capriati, whose professional career started 14 years ago, then despatched 24-year-old Nathalie Dechy 6-1, 7-5, allowing her at least one more match to practice before Wimbledon starts next week. Playing a trademark baseline game with solid groundstrokes, Martinez, the 1994 Wimbledon champion, sent her 20-year-old opponent scampering in vain to retrieve pin-point shots.

Fourth seed Hantuchova, whose rapid loss of weight this year has sparked headlines about her diet and spindly frame, looked unsettled in the blustery wind and failed to find range on her normally penetrating serve. Martinez, ranked 19 in the world, beat Hantuchova in straight sets at the Italian Open earlier this year and was not surprised at her victory in the seaside Wimbledon warm-up event.

Kim Clijsters Struggles

Through at Ordina Open

In Den Bosch, Netherlands, top seed Kim Clijsters showed she is still struggling before next week’s Wimbledon as she scraped into the Ordina Open semifinals yesterday.

The Belgian, French Open runner-up but still searching for her first title on grass, was pushed hard by a gutsy performance from Slovenian Tina Pisnik before winning 7-6, 7-6. Clijsters’ victory was revenge for her defeat by Pisnik at the same stage last year, but she was outplayed for much of the match. Fifth seed Nadia Petrova, a French Open semi-finalist, claimed a 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 victory over compatriot and fourth seed Elena Dementieva to set up a meeting with French Open champion Justine Henin-Hardenne or Ludmila Cervanova of Slovakia.

German Barbara Rittner followed up her victory over Amelie Mauresmo by thrashing another seed, number six Iroda Tulyaganova of Uzbekistan, 6-2, 6-1. She will play Clijsters in the semifinals.

The men’s event was overshadowed by the news of Richard Krajicek’s retirement due to his continuing struggle with injuries.

The elbow injury that forced him to withdraw from Wimbledon this week, was the last straw for the Dutchmank, who will be remembered most for winning Wimbledon in 1996.

Dutch qualifier Dennis van Scheppingen did his best to lift the crowd but went down in three sets to seventh seed Arnaud Clement, the Frenchman winning 7-6, 6-7, 6-3.

He will play Fernando Vicente in the quarterfinals after the Spaniard rallied to beat German Lars Burgsmueller 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.