Safin and Kuerten keep on collision course

Safin and Kuerten keep on collision course
Agence France Presse

Paris, November 18: Top seeds Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil and Marat Safin of Russia kept on track for a final showdown at the $ 2.95 million Paris Masters Series as both marched into the semis at the Bercy Stadium on Friday.

Second seed Safin, who leads Kuerten by a wafer-thin margin in the ATP Champions Race, ousted Spanish eighth-seed Alex Corretja 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 in one hour and 34 minutes to set up a meeting with Spanish 12th-seed Juan Carlos Ferrero.

Ferrero took three hours and missed a trio of match points in the final set as he ousted Fabrice Santoro, the only home survivor, 6-4 6-7 (10-12), 7-5.

Kuerten now faces Australian 13th-seed Mark Philippoussis who ended the hopes of German qualifier David Prinosil 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) in the other semi-final.

French Open champion Kuerten, the top seed, earlier had advanced with a smooth 6-3, 6-4 success over Albert Costa, the third Spaniard to have made it into the last eight.

Seles advances

NEW YORK: Before the teenagers took center stage on Friday night at the WTA Championships, a veteran showed flashes of her brilliant teenage years.

Three-time champion Monica Seles of the United States advanced to the semi-finals at the season-ending tournament for the first time since 1992 as she defeated South Africa's Amanda Coetzer 6-3, 6-4.

Two days after pulling off the week's biggest surprise, Russia's Elena Dementieva looked to avoid a let down as she took on Kim Clijsters of Belgium in the night's second match. The winner will face Seles later on Saturday for a spot in the final.

Seles, seeded third, needed just over an hour to put away Coetzer and improve to 9-1 lifetime against the diminutive South African.

Capriati replaces Rubin

NEW YORK: Jennifer Capriati was named to replace injured Chanda Rubin on the United States' Fed Cup team with the Americans set to face Belgium in a semi-final matchup on Wednesday at Las Vegas.

With this announcement on Friday, Capriati, 13th in the WTA Tour rankings, joins a trophy-defending team that also includes World No 2 Lindsay Davenport, fourth-ranked Monica Seles and former World doubles No 1 Lisa Raymond.

Rubin and Raymond were named after Venus and Serena Williams were unable to perform. Serena, the 1999 US Open champion, has a foot injury. Venus -- the 2000 US Open, Wimbledon and Olympic champion -- cited anemia.