Top-ranked Dinara Safina defeats Venus Williams; will face Svetlana Kuznetsova in Rome finals

Safina stops Venus Williams to reach Rome finals

ROME — Top-ranked Dinara Safina outlasted Venus Williams 6-7 (3), 6-3, 6-4 Friday to advance to the finals of the Italian Open, where she will play Svetlana Kuznetsova in an all-Russian match.

Kuznetsova beat Belarusian teenager Victoria Azarenka 6-2, 6-4 in the other semifinal at the Foro Italico.

Safina and the fifth-ranked Williams used ferocious hitting from the baseline, with the American often rushing the net to finish points.

In the third set, Safina served out the 3-hour, 9-minute match after committing three double-faults and saving four break points.

“It was a very long match and I think I played one of my best tennis (matches),” Safina said.

Williams closed out the first-set tiebreaker with a delicate drop volley, and went on to break her opponent in the opening game of the second set. But the 23-year-old Russian came back to even the match.

“It was not easy mentally,” said Safina, who had lost her two previous matches to Williams.

Safina had 32 winners, compared to 38 for Williams.

Williams, by reaching the semifinals in Rome, is still assured of moving to third in the rankings — her highest spot in six years.

The final on Saturday will be a repeat of last week’s Porsche GP final in Germany, where Kuznetsova defeated Safina in straight sets to capture her first title in almost two years. Both players have been runners-up in Rome, Kuznetsova in 2007 and Safina in 2006.

“It was good (to win) in two sets,” Kuznetsova said. “But it was very difficult for me, she was hitting as hard as she could.”

Kuznetsova struggled with her serve, but hit 23 winners — 10 more than her opponent.

The eighth-ranked Kuznetsova broke Azarenka three times to capture the first set in 41 minutes.

In the second, the ninth-ranked Azarenka pushed ahead with a break but appeared to lose her concentration as she disputed a call by the umpire in the third game. She lost the next five games and fell on the fourth match point.

“When I was already playing much better and everything, this thing happens and it takes me right from where I started,” said the 19-year-old Azarenka.

Kuznetsova said her opponent should not have been so worked up.

“To me, she (got) too upset for no reason,” she said. “It was just one ball in the match.”