Stuttgart, Germany (Sports Network) - World No. 1 star Justine Henin was among Friday's quarterfinal winners, as was U.S. Open runner-up Svetlana Kuznetsova, who drove out Australian Open titlist Serena Williams at the $650,000 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.
The top-seeded Henin held off unseeded two-time major runner-up Elena Dementieva of Russia 6-4, 6-4 at Porsche Arena. The reigning French Open and U.S. Open titlist Henin was the Porsche runner-up in 2001 and 2003.
Henin has now won her last 14 WTA Tour matches, including titles in Toronto and at the U.S. Open. The gritty Belgian has only lost once in her last 31 outings, and that came against France's Marion Bartoli in the Wimbledon semifinals.
The high-flying Henin's semifinal opponent on Saturday will be third-seeded Serbian Jelena Jankovic, who knocked out seventh-seeded and defending Stuttgart titlist Nadia Petrova 6-7 (5-7), 5-1, as the Russian retired due to a nagging hip injury. Petrova defeated France's Tatiana Golovin in last year's finale here.
A second-seeded Kuznetsova dismissed a sixth-seeded Williams in 6-3, 6-3 fashion on Day 5 here. The eight-time major champion and former world No. 1 Williams has failed to advance beyond the quarterfinals in her last six events, dating back to April.
In one other quarterfinal clash, a surging Golovin grounded Ukrainian qualifier Kateryna Bondarenko 6-3, 6-4. Golovin, who titled in Slovenia just two weeks ago, will face the former U.S. Open champion Kuznetsova in Saturday's other semi.
The 2007 Stuttgart titlist will claim $92,410.
Flushing Meadows, NY (Sports Network) - American Serena Williams downed Marion Bartoli in straight sets to advance to the U.S. Open quarterfinals on Sunday.
The eighth-seeded Williams overcame a persistent thumb injury to top the 10th- seeded Frenchwoman 6-3, 6-4.
Williams will now move on to face the winner of a night match between No. 1 Justine Henin and No. 15 Dinara Safina.
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) -- Serena Williams, who has been out with a thumb injury since reaching the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, will return to the court later this month in the Pilot Pen tournament.
Williams, an eight-time Grand Slam champion, will be making her first appearance in the tournament.
Williams, ranked No. 8 in the world, struggled with injuries in 2006 before entering the Australian Open as an unseeded player and walking away with the win.
She also reached the quarterfinals of the French Open and Wimbledon, climbing back into the top 10 of the WTA Tour world rankings.
"I am ready to get back onto the courts and hope to return to the form I had earlier this year," she said. "My sister always loved New Haven and was incredibly successful there, and I hope to have the same kind of results."
Williams joins fourth-ranked Svetlana Kuznetsova; No. 10 Daniela Hantuchova; No. 11 and Wimbledon finalist Marion Bartoli; No. 13 Elena Dementieva; and three-time Grand Slam champion Lindsay Davenport as women's players committed to the tournament.
"Serena is truly a household name around the world, and we are thrilled to add her to the Pilot Pen field in New Haven," tournament director Anne Worcester said. "The Pilot Pen fans always adored Venus, and I am certain they will have the same kind of warm and welcoming support for Serena."
Ninth-ranked James Blake, a Connecticut native, will be headlining the men's side along with defending champion and fifth-ranked Nikolay Davydenko; No. 7 Tommy Robredo; and No. 14 Andy Murray.
The tournament runs Aug. 17-25 at the Connecticut Tennis Center at Yale.
Stuttgart, Germany (Sports Network) - World No. 1 star Justine Henin was among Friday's quarterfinal winners, as was U.S. Open runner-up Svetlana Kuznetsova, who drove out Australian Open titlist Serena Williams at the $650,000 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.
