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/ 7 September 2005
Kim Clijsters’s never-say-die philosophy kept her bid for her first Grand Slam title on track on Tuesday as she rallied to beat Wimbledon champion Venus Williams in three sets and book a US Open semifinal berth. Clijsters was down a set and trailing 2-4 in the second, looking tentative in the face of Williams’s power and perhaps in the face of yet another Grand Slam disappointment.
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/ 5 September 2005
Wimbledon champion Venus Williams beat her little sister Serena 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 to reach the quarterfinals of the United States Open in New York on Sunday, but the sister act was hardly a show-stopper. Belgian Kim Clijsters crushed Venezuelan Maria Vento-Kabchi, and Lleyton Hewitt’s five-set win over Taylor Dent had plenty of drama.
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/ 2 September 2005
Eight-time grand-slam champion Andre Agassi delivered on a tall order on Thursday, downing rangy Croatian Ivo Karlovic in straight sets to reach the third round of the United States Open tennis championships. Lindsay Davenport, Amelie Mauresmo and Justine Henin-Hardenne raced into the third round.
The Federer express steamed into New York on Tuesday and once again Ivo Minar was tied to the tracks as Roger Federer launched his United States Open title defence by dismantling the Czech in straight sets. World number one and second seed Lindsay Davenport held off a spirited challenge from China’s Li Na.
Luxembourg’s Gilles Muller stunned former champion Andy Roddick in New York on Tuesday, sending the fourth-seeded American packing 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (10/8), 7-6 (7/1) in the first round of the US Open tennis championships. Muller spoiled what should have been Roddick’s 23rd birthday celebrations with a display of poise and precision.
Defending champion Svetlana Kuznetsova was unceremoniously bundled out of the first round of the United States Open tennis championships in New York on Monday by fellow Russian Ekaterina Bychkova. Maria Sharapova wasted no time in taking a step toward another major title as she defeated Greece’s Eleni Daniilidou 6-1, 6-1.
Eight-time grand-slam champion Andre Agassi launched his 20th United States Open campaign with a swift straight-set victory over Romanian Razvan Sabau on Monday, to the delight of New York fans. French Open champion Rafael Nadal eased into the second round with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Bobby Reynolds.
World record-holder Jessica Hardy captured the 100m breaststroke title at the United States Swimming Championships on Saturday, edging 2000 Olympic champion Megan Quann Jendrick. Hardy (18) set the world record of 1:06.20 in the semifinals of the world championships in Montreal last week.
Ian Crocker avenged his Athens Olympic defeat in the 100m butterfly with a world-record-setting victory over fellow American Michael Phelps on Saturday at the 11th World Swimming Championships. South African Roland Schoeman continued to display blistering form as he posted the second-fastest 50m freestyle time to date to capture that crown.
Aaron Peirsol and Leisel Jones became the latest world record-breakers at the 11th World Swimming Championships on Friday. America’s Peirsol lowered his own world record to win his third straight 200m backstroke world title in a time of one minute and 54,66 seconds. Jones won the women’s 200m breaststroke in 2:21,72.