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NEW YORK: Four top seeds with a shot at the world
number one Women’s Tennis Association ranking go head-to-head in
the semifinals of the US Open on Friday.
Second seed Jelena Jankovic held
the No. 1 ranking for one week earlier this year and says she is
ready to take her game to the next level when she squares off
against fifth-seeded Russian Elena Dementieva.
“I am going to do whatever it
takes to win all these matches,” the 23-year-old Serbian said.
“It would be nice to regain the No. 1 but I am playing in a Grand
Slam and my goal is to win a Grand Slam.”
Beijing Olympic silver medalist
Dinara Safina and American fourth seed Serena Williams, who won an
epic battle against sister Venus in the quarterfinals, face off in
the other semifinal.
Heading into the 2008 US Open,
five players had a chance of knocking Ana Ivanovic out of the top
spot and with Ivanovic getting eliminated early it opened the door
even wider.
Jankovic has advanced far into
just about every tournament this year including the semifinals of
the French Open where she stumbled down the stretch and lost to
Ivanovic.
This will be her eighth career
meeting against Dementieva with Jankovic having won four.
Dementieva has three wins
including a 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 win in their last meeting earlier this
year in Berlin.
“She’s [Dementieva] a tough
player,” said Jankovic, who becomes No. 1 if she wins the US Open.
“I would love to take another step and reach my first final of a
Grand Slam and then play on Saturday.”
Like Jankovic, Dementieva is
looking for her first Grand Slam title and if it comes this weekend
she would also be number one. She came into the US Open on a high
after winning the gold medal in singles at the Beijing Olympics.
The 26-year-old Russian hasn’t
skipped a beat at Flushing Meadows, making it to the semis without
dropping a set.
Dementieva needs to reach the
final to have a chance at being number one.
Serena Williams held the top spot
for 57 weeks back in 2003 and doesn’t mince words when it comes to
predicting her chances of regaining the crown.
“Believe me, I am going to be
number one sooner or later. There’s no way I’m going to give up
this gig any time soon,” said Serena who needs to win the title to
be number one.
Williams has walked over the
competition without dropping a set. But she didn’t play a top 30
player until the quarters when she faced sister Venus for the 17th
time in their careers.
Serena has a career 3-1 record
against Safina who needs to win the title and have Jankovic lose in
the semis to seize the top spot.
--AFP
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