Williams, Dementieva advance to Sydney final
Published:Thursday | January 14, 2010 | 12:54 PM
Top-ranked Serena Williams rallied from a set and 5-2 down to beat Avarane Rezai 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 and move into a Sydney International final against defending champion, Elena Dementieva.
Rezai was serving for the match at 5-3 in the second set, but reigning Australian Open champion Williams won the next five games to level it and go a break up in the third.
Rezai of France recovered breaks in the first and seventh games of the third set, but Williams broke her to lead 5-4 and then served it out.
Olympic champion, Dementieva beat sixth-seeded Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 6-3, 6-1 to book her place in the final.
In men\'s quarterfinals, Richard Gasquet of France had a 6-3, 7-6 win over Italian Potito Starace, and Frenchman Julien Benneteau beat Argentina\'s Leonardo Mayer 6-4, 6-7, 6-0.
Former Australian Open finalist, Marcos Baghdatis beat former Number One Lleyton Hewitt 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, ending Hewitt\'s attempt for his fifth Sydney title.
In the semifinals, Baghdatis will play American Mardy Fish, who beat Australian Peter Luczak 7-6, 6-2.
The Australian Open starts Monday in Melbourne.