Tennis: Williams too good for Clijsters in Antwerp

BRUSSELS - Venus Williams made light work of local favourite and former world No 1 Kim Clijsters to reach the semifinals of the Antwerp Diamond Games tennis tournament today, as the top four seeds all advanced.

The third seeded American, seeking her third title in Antwerp, won 6-2 6-3 to end the Belgian's run in a tournament she entered to make her latest comeback from a serious wrist injury.

"Today I did not play well," said Clijsters, who had been sidelined since last October.

"But the most important thing to me was to have no trouble at all with my left wrist this week. And it was the case. I did not suffer from it at all.

"I am sure that my game will fall into place in the future. I do not know when I will get back to my best level, but it's not so important. To me, it is essential to feel fit again."

Williams, who plays Russian second seed Anastasia Myskina for a place in the final, was quick to praise Clijsters' performance.

"I found Kim incredible tonight. She is such a great competitor. But I know her game well and that was an advantage," the elder Williams sister added.

"It is so nice to see her again. It is hard to comeback ... I am sure that she will be her old self soon. "

French Open champion Myskina was stretched in the first set of her quarter-final before overcoming unseeded Slovenian Katarina Srebotnik 7-6 6-2 in the final match of the day.

Williams and Myskina have met three times before with the American holding a 2-1 advantage.

However, the Russian won the last time they played, a straight sets victory in the quarter-finals at Roland Garros last year.

French top seed Amelie Mauresmo fought back to beat Switzerland's Patty Schnyder 4-6 6-4 6-3, setting up a semifinal showdown with Australia's Alicia Molik, who beat Czech Klara Koukalova 6-3 6-4.

World No 2 Mauresmo started sluggishly 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.

"At the start my legs were not responding so well," Mauresmo said.

"Patty was playing well and put me under pressure right away.

"In the second set I moved better and could control the match better. I am satisfied with the third set, I was almost at my best. "

Fourth seed Molik, a quarterfinalist 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.

"I reached a high level, my serves were very good and I was quite fresh despite the (three-set second round) win against (Magdalena) Maleeva which was tough.

"But the last few weeks have changed me a bit. I know what I have to do now, getting results. The key is to keep playing aggressively."

Mauresmo leads Molik 2-1 in head-to-head meetings, the Frenchwoman winning the most recent match between the pair in the semi-finals of last year's Athens Olympics.

- REUTERS