21 February,2009 12:55 PM IST | | AFP
Top-seeded Andy Roddick held on for a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 victory over big-serving Sam Querrey to reach the semi-finals of the $1.22 million ATP and WTA hardcourt tournament yesterday.
Roddick fired 11 aces, four fewer than his eighth-ranked opponent, but took advantage of Querrey's four double-faults as he booked a semi-final meeting with former world number one Lleyton Hewitt of Australia.
Fifth-seeded Czech Radek Stepanek also reached the semi-finals, ousting second-seeded Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina, and will face Israeli qualifier Dudi Sela.
The women's final was also set as top-seeded Dane Caroline Wozniacki and second-seeded Belarussian Victoria Azarenka advanced.
Roddick, ranked sixth in the world, is searching for his 27th career title and first since September in Beijing. He won this event in 2002 and reached the finals on two other occasions.
In the semi's he'll face the experienced Hewitt, who downed Belgium's Christophe Rochus 6-2, 6-3.
Like Roddick, Hewitt has 26 career titles. But the Australian has not won on tour since February 2007.
On the other side of the draw, Stepanek sent Argentina's del Potro packing 7-6 (9/7), 6-4.
Stepanek, who is already seeking his third title of the year, overcame six double faults with 11 aces.
He next faces Sela, who defeated unseeded Russian Igor Kunitsyn 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.
In the women's final on Saturday, Wozniacki will be vying for the fourth title of her young career after a quick 6-1, 6-0 semi-final victory over fourth-seeded Briton Anne Keothavong.
"I expected it would be longer, but I'm happy it turned out this way," said Wozniacki, who dispatched Keothavong in 55 minutes. "It's always nice to have fast matches. That's what you're going for."
For the 12th-ranked Wozniacki, 18, it was her first semi-final of the year.
Keothavong is projected to break into the top 50 in the world rankings next week, but was disappointed nonetheless.
"I just played terribly," she said. "It was the worst I'd played all week. When you get to a semi-final, that's not how you want to play.
"It was just one of those days where nothing was working. But, you have good days and bad days - today was definitely a very bad day."
Awaiting Wozniacki in the final is Azarenka, who outlasted sixth-seeded Sabine Lisicki of Germany, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7/1), in the other semi-final.
Azarenka, 19, is in search of the second singles title of her career after capturing the trophy in Brisbane last month.
