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A18 SPORTS
Saturday 17 March 2018
Federer, Venus Williams roll

into semifinals at Indian Wells

By BETH HARRIS went wide, giving Chung a 2-ranked Caroline Wozni-
AP Sports Writer break chance. But Chung's acki along the way.
INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) — forehand error got Federer "Maybe, yeah, from the
The seniors are rolling into to deuce and he closed side or with the score it
the semifinals at the BNP out his second match point looks like it was simple, but
Paribas Open. with an ace that Chung of course it's not," Kasatkina
Roger Federer and Venus unsuccessfully challenged said. "I knew that in one
Williams won in straight sets the call on. moment if I will lose focus
on Thursday, extending the Next up for Federer is Borna just for a second, they will
Venus Williams returns a shot against Carla Suarez Navarro, of 36-year-old Swiss superstar's Coric of Croatia, who upset come back and then the
Spain, during the quarterfinals at the BNP Paribas Open tennis bid for a record sixth title in No. 7 seed Kevin Anderson big battle, five hours again,
tournament, Thursday, March 15, 2018, in Indian Wells, Calif. the desert and the 37-year- 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (3) for his first will start."
Associated Press old American's attempt to win in four tries against the She gave Kerber no
win her first. South African. chance.
Federer defeated Chung Williams has never reached The German never man-
Hyeon 7-5, 6-1 and equal the final of the desert tour- aged a break point against
his career-best start of 16-0 nament and to do she'll Kasatkina's serve. The Rus-
from 2006. have to get by 20-year-old sian connected on 82
Williams beat Carla Su- Russian Daria Kasatkina, percent of her first serves,
arez Navarro 6-3, 6-2 in the who has yet to drop a set winning 22 of 32 first-serve
event where she first broke in four matches at Indian points.
out as a 16-year-old quali- Wells. Besides Stephens and Aus-
fier in 1997. At 37, Williams is the old- tralian Open winner Wozni-
Federer won the Australian est player in the draw. She acki, Kasatkina has beaten
Open in January and has made the quarterfinals in the other current Grand
regained the No. 1 rank- her tournament debut in Slam titleholders in the
ing. Williams returned to the 1997 and notched her first past year: French Open
top 10 last year after being win over a top-10 player winner Jelena Ostapenko
runner-up at the Australian before losing to eventual and Wimbledon champion
Open and Wimbledon. champion Lindsay Daven- Garbine Muguruza.
"I'm just happy that I'm able port. That's part of the reason
to keep up a good level. Williams took 71 minutes to for her impressive rise in the
Same for Venus," Federer put away Suarez Navarro rankings over the last three
said. "Really happy for her for the fourth straight time years, and she's guaran-
that she's really consistent- on Thursday. Playing in swirl- teed to make her highest
ly easily making all these ing winds, Suarez Navarro move yet as a result of her
semis and finals and win- committed 29 unforced er- deep run in the desert. She
ning tournaments." rors to 17 for Williams. came into the tournament
With Rod Laver and Pete "I don't care what's hap- at No. 19, two spots lower
Sampras looking on, Feder- pening on court, I just try than her career-best. She
er fired 12 aces and was to execute my game," could move to 15th or 16th,
broken just once. Williams said. "You kind of and has a shot at the top
Federer and Chung last hope for this kind of score- 10 if she would win the title.
played in the Australian line, but you never know The other women's semi is
Open semifinals, when the if you're actually going to already set: No. 1 Simona
South Korean was forced get it." Halep against Japan's
to retire trailing 6-1, 5-2 be- Kasatkina needed just 58 Naomi Osaka, another
cause of blisters on his left minutes to dispatch former 20-year-old making a huge
foot. Federer went on to No. 1 Angelique Kerber 6-0, run through the draw. Osa-
win the title and at 36 is the 6-2 in the quarterfinals. ka's victims have included
No. 1 player again. The Russian has knocked Maria Sharapova, No. 31
Federer saved a hand- out U.S. Open champion Agnieszka Radwanska and
ful of break points in the Sloane Stephens and No. No. 5 Karolina Pliskova.q
first game of the second
set and then broke Chung
twice, including on a dou-
ble fault to take a 5-1 lead.
"I had a plan in place, but
then you adjust to it con-
stantly," Federer said. "May-
be it's the wind, maybe it's
the opponent, because
you just don't know his pat-
terns yet. I like it when it's
the unknown, even though
it can be a bit scary."
Serving for the match, Fe-
derer's errant backhand
spoiled his first match
point. His forehand volley