Australian Open: Capriati reaches semi-final

Number one seed Jennifer Capriati continued her quest to retain the Australian Open title with a 6-2 6-2 quarter-final victory over Amelie Mauresmo.

The American was quickly on top, breaking Mauresmo’s serve in the opening game, and continued to dominate as the Frenchwoman made a total of 34 unforced errors.

Capriati said: ‘‘I’ve got a lot to be happy for. This is where it all counts - how you do in a Grand Slam and where I try to bring my best tennis.

‘‘I do try to bring it everywhere, but this is where it counts the most. It’s getting down to the second week and it’s getting down to the moment where the best players are really going to bring their best games, so I’m glad I could raise my game to that level.

‘‘I had to be really steady and determined today and hope that this would be the start of the best things in the next coming matches.

‘‘I felt pretty good here last year and it will be hard to top that. I just hope I am feeling the same way this year.’’

Capriati will now meet Kim Clijsters in the last four after the Belgian number four seed beat fellow countrywoman Justine Henin 6-2 6-3.

Fourth seed Clijsters admitted: ‘‘It is tough to play your best friend. I try to block it out as much as I can, but it is always at the back of your mind. It is not easy, as I would like to see both of us doing well in a Grand Slam.

‘‘Both of us are Belgian and it is great. We are good friends.

‘‘Once we come off court we are friends again. When we are on court we fight against each other and hate each other, but when the match is finished we are friends again. I think that is why we are such good friends.

The other semi-final will see Swiss third seed Martina Hingis take on American eighth seed Monica Seles.

In the men’s event, Marat Safin strolled into the semi-finals after his opponent Wayne Ferreira retired in the first set.

The South African was forced to pull out after straining a stomach muscle in the third game.

Ferreira had treatment for the injury from the trainer and tried to continue but when he was trailing 5-2 the pain proved to much.

The Russian number nine seed, who knocked out former world number one Pete Sampras, will meet the winner of the Tommy Haas-Marcelo Rios clash in the last four.

Australian Open results:

Women’s singles quarter-finals:

(1) J Capriati (USA) bt (7) A Mauresmo (Fra) 6-2 6-2

(4) K Clijsters (Bel) bt (6) J Henin (Bel) 6-2 6-3

Men’s singles quarter finals:

(9) M Safin (Rus) bt W Ferreira (Rsa) 5-2 ret

Women’s doubles quarter-finals:

(15) C Martinez (Spa) & M Serna (Spa) bt (10) A Coetzer (Rsa) & L McNeil (USA) 6-0 6-2, (8) M Hingis (Swi) & A Kournikova (Rus) bt S Asagoe (Jpn) & R Fujiwara (Jpn) 6-4 6-2

(1) L Raymond (USA) & R Stubbs (Aus) bt D Bedanova (Cze) & K Hrdlickova (Cze) 7-6 (10-8) 6-4, (13) D Hantuchova (Svk) & A Sanchez-Vicario (Spa) bt (9) T Krizan & K Srebotnik (Slo) 7-6 (7-3) 6-1

Men’s doubles quarter-finals:

M Llodra (Fra) & F Santoro (Fra) bt (8) E Ferreira (Rsa) & (8) R Leach (USA) 6-2 3-6 8-6, (2) D Johnson & J Palmer (USA) bt (10) B Bryan (USA) & M Bryan (USA) 6-4 6-4

(9) M Knowles (Bah) & D Nestor (Can) bt (13) M Damm (Cze) & D Prinosil (Ger) 6-2 6-2, J Boutter & A Clement (Fra) bt (5) W Black & K Ullyett (Zim) 6-1 6-3

Mixed doubles quarter-finals:

M Hill (Aus) & C Vis (Ned) bt P Vizner (Cze) & J Husarova (Svk) 5-7 6-4 7-6 (10-6)