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 Williams, a three-time champion on the Canadian hardcourts,
stretched her winning streak in Toronto to 14 matches but on a humid
evening she was made to sweat for her spot in the last four by her
53rd ranked opponent.
Playing her first event since winning Wimbledon, Williams will next
meet 18-year-old Bencic, who took apart fifth seed Anna Ivanovic 6-4
6-2.
"I don't feel like I'm at my best or anywhere near it," said
Williams, who will go for the Grand Slam at the U.S. Open. "But I
feel like I'm going in the right direction and I want to keep that
up.
"I definitely feel more positive today. I don't want to peak too
soon."
An animated Williams struggled to get control of the first set but
capitalized on her fourth break point with the Italian serving at
4-5 to claim it. In the second she got the decisive break to go up
5-3 before serving out the match.
"I think she just served really well, some big serves," said
Williams, who also blasted 12 aces past the Italian. "She was number
one in doubles for a really long time so she obviously has a great
game."
Standing in the way of Williams' return to the final is Bencic, who
has eliminated two former-world number ones, Caroline Wozniacki and
former Rogers Cup champion Ivanovic.
The Serb beat the Swiss teenager's mentor, Martina Hingis, in the
2006 final.
"She (Hingis) knows her (Williams) well, I think tomorrow I can go
onto the court with a plan and just keep playing as I did today,"
said Bencic.
[to top of second column] |
In other quarter-final action, second seeded Romanian Simona Halep
sleepwalked through the first set before producing a remarkable
comeback to record a 0-6 6-3 6-1 win over defending
champion Agnieszka Radwanska.
After dropping the first seven games to Radwanska, Halep started to
find her rhythm and at 3-3 in the second set shifted into high gear.
Looking like a completely different player she stormed through the
next eight games to level the match and pulled ahead 5-0 in the
third before Radwanska could stop the slide, if only for one game,
before the sixth seed was sent packing.
"At the beginning I could not move my legs. I felt very tired," said
Halep. "I just kept focused on what I had to do and just tried to
keep the ball in the court to make some longer rallies."
Halep, a winner at Indian Wells earlier this season, will take on
Italy's Sara Errani for a place in the final after the 15th seed
advanced with a 6-4 6-4 win over Ukrainian qualifier Lesia Tsurenko.
(Reporting by Steve Keating in Toronto. Editing by Andrew Both/Peter
Rutherford)
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