ROME, 8 May 2004 — Argentine fifth seed David Nalbandian, the highest seed left at the Rome Masters, beat American Vincent Spadea 6-4, 6-3 here yesterday to set up a semifinal clash against Albert Costa. Nalbandian’s compatriot Mariano Zabaleta also clinched a place in the last four, beating Chilean eighth seed Nicolas Massu 6-1, 7-5 at the Foro Italico.

Zabaleta, whose victims on his way to the semis include last year’s champion Felix Mantilla and fourth seed Tim Henman, will meet either Spanish sixth seed Carlos Moya or Romanian Andrei Pavel.

A quarterfinalist at the Australian Open, Nalbandian took the first set against Spadea but then found himself 3-0 down and with three break points against him in the second. Spadea’s recovery triggered a positive response from Nalbandian and the 2002 Wimbledon runner-up won the next six games in a row to close out the match in style. Nalbandian, 22, said saving those points to hold his serve for 3-1 rather than go 4-0 down was the turning point of the match. Clay court specialist Costa, winner of the French Open in 2002 but unseeded here, knocked out Czech 12th seed Jiri Novak in just 72 minutes.

Costa played down suggestions he was now the favorite having beaten world No. 1 Roger Federer in the second round and played solid tennis all week on his preferred surface.

James Blake, meanwhile, could miss up to a month of tennis after ending up in hospital following an accident during training at the Rome Masters. The American crashed heavily into a net cord post as he raced for a short ball during training at a local tennis club Thursday. The world No. 43 was taken to hospital, where he was diagnosed with a fractured vertebrae in his neck. The injury will force Blake to miss at least a month of play.

Venus Struggles Into Berlin Semifinals

In Berlin, Venus Williams, chasing her third successive title after winning Charleston and Warsaw, struggled to overcome Argentina’s Paola Suarez before reaching the semifinals of the German Open yesterday.

The third seeded American took two hours 21-minutes to win 7-6 (7-5), 5-7, 6-2 after heavy rain forced delays and caused her match to be moved to a side court.

After sneaking the opening set, Williams double-faulted and then netted a backhand to give Suarez a break and the second set. But although several games were closely contested in the third, it was Williams who broke to lead 2-1 and then again for 5-2. Still, it wasn’t a match the American looked back on with any satisfaction.

Second seed Amelie Mauresmo also had initial difficulties against 10th seeded Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova, but eventually came through 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 6-1, and she will face sixth seed Jennifer Capriati in the semifinals. The heavy conditions favored Capriati against the fourth seed from Russia, Anastasia Myskina, and she eased through 6-3, 6-2.

Rising Croatian Karolina Sprem earned the right to play Williams for a place in the final when she dismissed Australian Open semifinalist Fabiola Zuluaga 6-3, 6-3.

Tests have confirmed that Justine Henin-Hardenne has been suffering from Cytomegalovirus, or CMV, but recent blood tests have been normal and the world No. 1 has resumed training in preparation for the French Open, where she is the defending champion. Her final status for Roland Garros will be announced on May 18 a week before the event. World No. 2 Kim Clijsters however, will not be playing at the French Open because she has to give her wrist more time to recover from a recurrent injury, her coach said .

“She has to rest for at least five weeks,” Marc Dehous told the Belgian radio network VRT Radio One. “Otherwise it could well become a chronic wrist injury.” Asked whether she would participate at Roland Garros, Dehous said: “Certainly not”.