Davenport, Sampras power into semi-finals

But Sampras reached into his reservoir of power tennis and won the next six points to take the tie-break and tie the match. After that, he took charge, fighting off 23 aces by Krajicek with a demonstration of brilliant shot making.

“I was getting outplayed,” Sampras said. “Richard puts a lot of pressure on my service game. I thought I was gone.”

Instead, he stuck around, saved by that series of six straight tie-break points.

“Richard always plays me tough,” he said. “After I won the second set, Richard got a little down.”

That was the opening he needed, and he seized it and the match.

Davenport ended a five-match losing streak against Williams even though the defending champion had several statistical edges.

Williams had more aces (8 to 5), fewer doublefaults (2 to 3), a better first-serve percentage (66 to 48), a faster serve (111 mph to 107) and more winners (31 to 18).

So, how come she lost? The answer was that Davenport never was broken. On each of Williams’ five chances, Davenport survived the crisis.

“The goal was to hold my serve, hang with her when she made some good shots,” she said. “You’ve got to hold serve. You’ve got to be able to do that.

“She had a lot of opportunities at the beginning of the first set. When I broke her at 4-all it seemed to deflate her. She had break points she didn’t take advantage of.”

Davenport played steady tennis, trading booming shots with Williams until she found the openings she needed. When Williams fought off five match points in an extraordinary 20-point game Davenport simply won the match on her next service game.

“I was still up two breaks. I was still in good position, Davenport said. That’s the best she ever played against me,” Williams said. “She should take that attitude toward everyone.”

Like her sister, Venus, the day before, Serena said she did not play her best. “I wasn’t on my best game today,” she said. “You can’t allow yourself not to be on your best game in the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam.”

Davenport thought she had something to do with that. “I know she feels she didn’t play well,” she said. “I thought I played well to make her not play well.”

Next for Davenport is surprising Elena Dementieva, who continued her unseeded march through the tournament, ousting No 10 Anke Huber 6-1 3-6 6-3 to reach the semi-finals.

Semi-finals? Dementieva? Even she couldn’t believe it. “You know,” she said, “It is just amazing because two years ago, I just watched them on TV. I didn’t think that I can play like I play now.”

There were signals, though, from the 18-year-old, who rallied from a 1-4 deficit to defeat Venus Williams for Russia’s only point against the United States in the Fed Cup final. She had other wins over Huber, Mary Pierce and Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario this season, all of them seeded at the Open.

Huber viewed the defeat as a lost opportunity. But it was her loss to Dementieva at Indian Wells that thrust the teenager into the top 50.

“I think she can hit the ball hard,” she said. “She has a good forehand. She moves very, very well. I think may be she has to improve her serve, a few other things. Otherwise, she has a good game.”

Dementieva wasn’t the only teenager to succeed. Aussie 19-year-old Lleyton Hewitt made fast work of Arnaud Clement 6-2 6-4 6-3 to make it through to the semi-finals now.

Results (Quarter-finals)

Men’s singles: 4-Pete Sampras (US) bt Richard Krajicek (Ned) 4-6 7-6 (8/6) 6-4 6-2; 9-Lleyton Hewitt (Aus) bt Arnaud Clement (Fra) 6-2 6-4 6-3.
Doubles: 3-Alex O’Brien/ Jared Palmer (US) bt David McPherson/ Grant Stafford (Aus/ SA) 6-0 6-4

Women’s singles: 2-Lindsay Davenport (US) bt 5-Serena Williams (US) 6-4 6-2; Elena Dementieva (Rus) bt 10-Anke Huber (Ger) 6-1 3-6 6-3.
Doubles: Els Callens/ Dominique van Roost (Bel) bt Conchita Martinez/ Patricia Tarabini (Spa/ Arg) 6-3 7-6 (7/2)

Mixed doubles: Arantxa Sanchez/ Jared Palmer (Spa/US) bt Elena Likhovtseva/ Paul Haarhuis (Rus/ Ned) 6-4 6-4.