TENNIS Live

WTA Rome - Quarter final - Women

Nationality Player Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5
J Jankovic566--
United StatesV Williams723--

Venus Williams

Nationality USA
Date of Birth 17/01/1980
Height 1.85 m
Weight 72.5 kg
WTA Ranking 6
Player Info Right-handed; Two-handed backhand

Jelena Jankovic

Nationality SRB
Date of Birth 28/02/1985
Height 1.77 m
Weight 59 kg
WTA Ranking 3
Player Info Right-handed; Two-handed backhand
 

Live Comments

  1. 3-6 - Jankovic rushes to TRIPLE MATCH POINT before confirming the come-from-behind 5-7 6-2 6-3 victory on her second chance with a gorgeous backhand pass fired perfectly across court for the winner. Jankovic, who finishes the match with 18 winners and 21 errors to 39 and 42 for Venus, closes out the win in two hours and 27 minutes and will next face either Maria Sharapova or Patty Schnyder! Thanks for following our LIVE coverage and stay tuned for the last quarter-final.

  2. 3-5 - A determined Williams pulls through a tricky hold to 30 to stay in this match, but Jankovic, who just showed off her infamous splits but to no avail, will still serve for the match.

  3. 2-5 - Jankovic blazes through a hold to 15, and the holder is one game away now of reaching the semis at the expense of the last remaining American in the draw.

  4. 2-4 - Some phenomenal defence from Jankovic does not seem to be enough, but Williams astonishingly sends an easy overhead at the net well wide to hand the Serbian a pair of BREAK POINTS!! And Jankovic confirms on her first chance with a brutal string of groundstrokes that set up the forehand volley winner at the net. Jankovic leads again....

  5. 2-3 - And Jankovic has won three straight games to regain the lead.....

  6. 40-40 - Venus manages to apply an enormous amount of pressure on Jankovic's serve, but the Serbian is able to save a pair of BREAK POINTS.....

  7. 2-2 - Venus drops the error into the net and Jankovic has broken back! There's no way of no, where this match is going....

  8. 2-1 - Venus battles from 40-0 down to 40-30, but after a long baseline rally dumps an unforced backhand error into the net on what was presumably meant to be an approach shot. Jankovic stays in touch.

  9. 2-0 - Jankovic's backhand attempt is well wide of the line, and Venus confirms the break of serve with a hold of her own. This next service game will be hugely important for the world number four.

  10. 1-0 - A great big overhead slam at the net allows Venus Williams to easily take the opening game and opening break of serve in this second set.

  11. 2-6 - Well done Jelena!! The Serbian fires a sweet forehand winner right up the line, breaks to LOVE and secures the second set 6-2 to send us to a third set.

  12. 2-5 - Serve-and-SMASH!! Jelena Jankovic eases through a LOVE service hold and looks set to comfortably take this second set.

  13. 2-4 - Venus wraps up a comfortable hold to 15 with a service winner.

  14. 1-4 - At 40-0 a fifth double fault starts a bit of a slide for Jankovic, but she eventually pulls through the hold to 30 to move within two games of sending this match to a third set.

  15. 1-3 - Jankovic powers through another break of serve, the 12TH! of the match!

  16. 1-2 - Venus casually breaks right back to 15, forcing the Serbian into her own string of mistakes.

  17. 0-2 - Jankovic presses the Wimbledon champion into the forehand error to earn the early break in this second set! We'll she how she stands up in this next service game.

  18. 0-1 - Venus Williams fails to confirm a BREAK POINT sending the backhand error long and wincing in disappointment. Jankovic goes onto hold despite Williams playing well inside the baseline in an effort to press the Serbian's serve.

  19. 7-5 - Jankovic saves two SET POINTS, but sends the backhand error wide of the tramline on the next as Venus Williams confirms an arduous opening set 7-5 in one hour and three minutes!

  20. 6-5 - A series of dominating points at the net allow Williams to break yet again, and the American will - for a second time - serve for the set.

  21. 40-40 - These two have split their lifetime series at three matches a piece, and after a gruelling point in a gruelling service game Jankovic hits a stunning forehand into the corner to go ahead before allowing Venus again back to DEUCE. The American played the second-serve well inside the baseline, dominated the point and ultimately wrapped it up with an overhead smash. As we said, DEUCE.

  22. 5-5 - Venus gifts Jankovic TRIPLE BREAK BACK POINT with her second double fault of the match, and then pushes the forehand volley well long to allow the Serbian to BREAK to LOVE! Again we're back on serve....

  23. 5-4 - Williams breaks again, and this time the American will serve for the opening set.

  24. 4-4 - An imposing service game for Venus Williams, who rushes ahead 40-0 before holding to 15.

  25. 3-4 - Finally now, one of the women holds serve, as Jankovic takes hers to 15. This next game will be a critical test for Venus Williams in this match.

  26. 3-3 - Shocking. A shanked forehand by Venus allows Jankovic to BREAK BACK to 15. The American, who is wearing tape around her right forearm and bandages on both wrists, looks in pain.

  27. 3-2 - As we've come to expect, Jankovic saves one BREAK POINT but can't save a second with Venus Williams brutalising a meek second-serve with a bruising backhand effort. The American leads... Again...

  28. 2-2 - This is absurd! Jankovic has another chance to BREAK BACK, and a distraught looking Venus Williams slaps the cross-court backhand effort into the top of the net.

  29. 2-1 - Jankovic saves one BREAK POINT, but concedes yet another chance and then a third straight break with another unforced error! Sloppy play from both women means that the American leads yet again.

  30. 1-1 - Venus struggles in her first service game, losing her first point on serve before eventually surrendering a break back to DEUCE with a horrible unforced backhand error sent well long of the baseline. Back on serve.

  31. ----- - Serena is in the crowd watching her older sister after having withdrawn from her earlier match with Alize Cornet without even stepping on court due to a back injury suffered in training. It's a shame, because Serena had looked so good the past couple of weeks and months.

  32. 1-0 - The defending champion Jankovic serves first, and she's already handed Venus a pair of BREAK chances due to a series of unforced errors, the American takes advantage with a stunning backhand winner right past the outstretched arms of the Serbian!

  33. ----- - Welcome to LIVE comments and scoring from the Rome quarter-finals as Venus Williams and Jelena Jankovic meet for a place in the last four.

WTA Race 2008

Points
1 Ana Ivanovic 2761 down
2 Jelena Jankovic 2645 up
3 Serena Williams 2590 up
4 Maria Sharapova 2455 stay
5 Elena Dementieva 2051 up
6 Svetlana Kuznetsova 1821 down
7 Venus Williams 1766 up
8 Agnieszka Radwanska 1727 stay
9 Dinara Safina 1723 stay
10 Vera Zvonareva 1524 up

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