ROTTERDAM, 19 February 2005 — Thomas Johansson and Ivan Ljubicic set up a semi-final showdown at the € 782,250 ABN-AMRO Open yesterday as both stormed through on an indoor carpet which has become faster as the week progresses.
Johansson was carrying pleasant memories of seven years ago, when he lost the final at the Ahoy stadium to Dutch player Sjeng Schalken.
The Swede who owns the Australian Open title from 2002 scored a confidence-building win yesterday over Czech Radek Stepanek 6-2, 7-6 (7-5) to reach the final four for the first time since a trophy three months ago at home in Stockholm.
Ljubicic, a former Balkan child war refugee, got mad to get even after a victory jig from Paradorn Srichaphan as the Thai earned a break point deep in the second set.
“I won’t say I was pissed, but I thought if he could dance, so could I,” said the 24-year-old Ljubicic who lost the final in Marseille last week. Ljubicic saved the break point in the ninth game and was never again troubled, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2.
Ljubicic and Asian ace Paradorn duelled for two hours, two minutes as the quarterfinals reached the halfway point.
Johansson was also pleased by his run of improvement this week indoors.
The Swede said that the court speed has increased from a week ago when he first arrived and started training. “I like the court, it’s a good speed.
Johansson took victory a day after upsetting fifth-seeded compatriot Joachim Johansson. “I felt better today that yesterday,” said the veteran with eight career titles who missed all of 2003 after a knee operation.
Mauresmo Passes Schnyder Test, Molik Next
In Brussels, French top seed Amelie Mauresmo fought back to beat Switzerland’s Patty Schnyder 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 to reach the semifinals of the Antwerp Diamond Games tournament yesterday.
In the last four she will face in-form Australian Alicia Molik who beat Czech Klara Koukalova 6-3, 6-4.
World number two Mauresmo started poorly but eventually imposed her power-based game on Schnyder, sealing victory on her second match point with a volley that the Swiss could only net.
Fourth seed Molik, a quarter-finalist at the Australian Open in January, was an impressive winner over Koukalova.
A single break was enough for her to clinch the first set and she was quickly 5-1 up in the second. Koukalova fought back to 5-4 before Molik wrapped up victory on serve.
Ginepri Nets Fish to Set Up Date With Roddick
In Memphis, Tennessee, Robby Ginepri booked a quarterfinal clash with top seed Andy Roddick on Thursday with a straight set upset of fifth-seeded fellow American Mardy Fish.
Ginepri ousted Fish 6-1, 7-5 in a second-round clash in the ATP side of the men’s and women’s tennis tournaments running concurrently here this week.
He’ll try to maintain the momentum when he takes on Roddick, who rolled into the quarter-finals with a 6-3, 6-3 win over France’s Arnaud Clement on Wednesday.
Roddick, who lifted the title in San Jose, California, on Sunday, is 4-0 lifetime against Ginepri.
In other men’s matches on Thursday, second-seeded German Tommy Haas made it through to the quarter-finals, battling through a tight first set to subdue American Kevin Kim 7-6 (7 4), 6-3.
France’s Antony Dupuis emerged with a 7-5, 2-0 victory over third seed Vincent Spadea when the American retired with a sore right shoulder. Dupuis will next face eighth-seeded Max Mirnyi of Belarus, who defeated France’s Cyril Saulnier 7-5, 6-4.
Fifth seed Xavier Malisse of Belgium routed Canadian qualifier Frank Dancevic 6-2, 6-2 to earn a clash with Haas.
On the women’s side, top seed and defending champion Vera Zvonareva of Russia had a first set battle against Ukrainian wild card Katerina Bondarenko before pulling away to win 7-5, 6-0 and book a semi-final berth.
In the semis, Zvonareva will face eighth-seeded compatriot Evgenia Linetskaya, who defeated Akiko Morigami of Japan 6-2, 6-2.
Third-seeded American Meghann Shaughnessy crushed South Korean Cho Yoon Jeong 6-1, 6-2 to reach the semi-finals, where she’ll face seventh-seeded Czech Nicole Vaidisova, a 6-2, 6-7 (2 7), 6-4 winner over unseeded American Jamea Jackson.
