Henin, Sharapova, Chakvetadze win; Serena pulls out in Madrid

Tennis Betting Lines

11/08/2007 - Madrid, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Reigning champion Justine Henin and former winner Maria Sharapova are now a combined 5-0 in this week's round-robin action, while another former champ, Serena Williams, pulled out of the season- ending $3 million Sony Ericsson Championships. Young Russian Anna Chakvetadze rounded out this week's four semifinalists on Day 3 here.

The top-seeded/world No. 1 Henin was a perfect 3-0 in her round-robin play, as she capped her stay in the four-player Yellow Group with a 6-0, 6-0 double- bagel pasting of alternate Marion Bartoli, who replaced an injured Williams in the exclusive field here.

The Belgian Henin, who dismantled the world No. 10 Bartoli in 57 minutes, had already booked a spot in this week's semifinals before her destruction of the Frenchwoman.

Bartoli shocked the reigning U.S. and French Open champion Henin in the Wimbledon semis back in July.

The seven-time Grand Slam event champion Henin beat France's Amelie Mauresmo in last year's Championships finale right here in Madrid.

Henin has already clinched the year-end top-ranking for a second straight season and for the third time in five years and is currently riding a torrid 23-match winning streak.

The sixth-seeded former world No. 1 Sharapova landed in the semifinals by upsetting her second-seeded fellow Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 at Recinto Ferial Casa de Campo. Sharapova prevailed in 2 hours, 7 minutes with the help of five service breaks and seven Kuznetsova double faults. The two-time major champion Sharapova won 26 more points (94-68) than her compatriot, the 2004 U.S. Open champ.

The Australian Open runner-up and 2004 Championships titlist Sharapova improved to 2-0 in round-robin play in this week's four-player Red Group, while the U.S. Open runner-up Kuznetsova fell to 0-2 and out of contention for a spot in Saturday's semis.

Fourth-seeded Serbian and French Open runner-up Ana Ivanovic (2-0) will also join Sharapova in the final four representing the Red Group, while eighth- seeded Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova, like Kuznetsova, is a disappointing 0-2 in the Red quartet.

A seventh-seeded Chakvetadze went 2-1 in the Yellow Group, as she closed out her round-robin stint with a 6-4, 0-6, 6-3 victory over third-seeded Serbian Jelena Jankovic, who leads the WTA Tour with 72 match wins this year, but is 0-2 so far this week. The weak-serving Jankovic piled up eight double faults in the 1-hour, 37-minute affair. Chakvetadze lost seven straight games at one point to drop the second set and fall behind 0-1 in the third, but she rallied by winning six of the last eight games.

A fifth-seeded former top-ranked Williams, meanwhile, pulled out of the eight- player field here due to a left knee injury. The Aussie Open champ retired from her opening match on Wednesday, as she quit after dropping the first set, 6-4, against Chakvetadze.

The eight-time major champion Williams captured this title in 2001 and is a two-time runner-up at the prestigious event.

On Friday, the last day of round-robin action will see Ivanovic meet Sharapova, Kuznetsova face Hantuchova and Jankovic take on Bartoli. The Ivanovic-Sharapova loser will meet Henin in Saturday's final four, while the winner will battle Chakvetadze.

The 2007 Championships winner will claim $1 million, while the runner-up will take home $500,000 on Sunday.

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