Williams reaches first claycourt final
Patrick Vignal
Serena Williams put an end to unseeded Anna Smashnova's brilliant run in the German Open with an 6-3 6-2 semifinal win to reach her first claycourt final on Saturday.
Williams, the fourth seed, needed just one hour and 11 minutes to stop Smashnova and will now play Belgium's Wimbledon finalist Justine Henin in Sunday's final. Henin has played three finals against Williams before and lost all three.
Fifth seed Henin had earlier erased painful memories from last year by coming back from behind to clinch a 5-7 6-2 6-1 victory over top seed Jennifer Capriati in a rain-hit semifinal.
A year ago in Berlin Henin had been in contention for victory when she retired in the third set of her semifinal against Capriati with a right ankle strain.
Capriati, who suffered a setback as she prepares for the defence of her French Open title from May 27 in Paris, will spend at least another week at world number two.
The 26-year-old American, who lost to France's Amelie Mauresmo in last year's Berlin final, would have leapfrogged Venus Williams to recapture top spot if she had won the tournament.
Henin, 19, opened up a 3-0 lead in the first set but Capriati fought back to level the set, then survived three set points at 5-4 down before taking the Belgian teenager's serve in the last game.
The second set was tied at 2-2 when a storm forced an interruption. Capriati's game collapsed when play resumed after a break of just under two hours.
"I was on a real roll before the delay," said a dejected Capriati. "After that it was like a different day."
DOUBLE FAULTS
After the skies cleared, Henin swiftly won four games in a row to take the second set and force a decider.
Two costly double faults on as many break points saw Capriati drop 4-1 down in the last set.
The Australian Open champion, who made a significant breakthrough in Berlin by reaching the semifinals as a 15-year-old 11 years ago, was broken again in the final game.
After saving two match points, she bowed out by hitting a backhand long on the third.
"The conditions changed a little and I guess she had time to talk to her coach and change her strategy," Capriati said of the rain break.
"It was quite a bit slower and that played in her favour. I started making a lot of errors but she did play extremely well. If she can play like that all the time, she can certainly be ranked higher than she is now."
Capriati, who had a great run until a rainy day messed up her plans, said she was not too concerned about the French Open.
"I lost early last year in Rome and that did not stop me from winning the French," she said.
Serena Williams said her main objective in Berlin was to gain confidence for the French Open.
"That was my main goal and I've achieved that," she said. "I definitely have some reserves left, but I'm now concentrating on the final in Berlin and then I'll put all my concentration on the preparations for the French Open."
