Jankovic topples Venus, will face '06 champ Petrova in Stuttgart final
STUTTGART, Germany -- Soon to be No. 1 Jelena Jankovic beat Venus Williams on Saturday to reach the Porsche Grand Prix final, overcoming a painful foot for a 6-7 (8), 7-5, 6-2 victory over the Wimbledon champion.
Petrova moved within one win of capturing her second Porsche Grand Prix title when she beat Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 6-4, 6-4 in the other semifinal.
Jankovic has a broken toenail on her left foot and got two painkilling shots to be able to play. The sixth-seeded Williams was playing in her first Stuttgart tournament in 10 years.
Williams used her third set point to win the first set when Jankovic hit a backhand long. Jankovic had also wasted a set point in the tiebreaker.
Jankovic squandered a 3-1 lead in the second set, wasted two break points at 3-3, but took the set with the help of a challenge.
She did one of her trademark splits to get a ball back down the line and it was called out. Jankovic challenged the call and the replay showed that the ball had hit the line and Jankovic tied the match.
The Serb broke serve for a 2-0 lead in the third, staved off a break point in the next game, two more in the fifth game and held for 5-2. An error by Williams gave Jankovic two match points. She wasted one with an error, but Williams then sent a forehand long.
"I am so excited to be back in the final," said Petrova, a Russian who won the tournament in 2006. "The main thing for me is to stay focused, then everything goes well for me."
Petrova is looking for her second title of the year after winning in Cincinnati. Two years ago, Petrova was ranked third in the world but she has now dropped to No. 18.
She has not lost a set in three matches so far this week.
"I saved a lot of energy, I am ready for tomorrow," she said.
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
