RUSSIA: JANA NOVOTNA BEATS VENUS WILLIAMS TO GO TO THE SEMI-FINALS OF THE KREMLIN TENNIS CUP

Record ID: 646283

  • Title: RUSSIA: JANA NOVOTNA BEATS VENUS WILLIAMS TO GO TO THE SEMI-FINALS OF THE KREMLIN TENNIS CUP
  • Date: 31st October 1997
  • Summary: KREMLIN CUP, MOSCOW (OCTOBER 31 1997) JANA NOVOTNA (BLONDE HAIR) BEATS VENUS WILLIAMS (US) 7-5, 6-4 IN QUARTER FINALS 1. WIDE SHOT OF PLAYERS IN AUDITORIUM 2. CLOSE UP OF VENUS WILLIAMS SERVE 3. WIDE SHOT OF PLAY 4. BACKHARD BY WILLIAMS 5. BACKHAND BY NOVOTA 6. WIDE SHOT OF BOTH PLAYING 7. BACKHAND NOVOTNA RETURN 8. WIDE SHOT AS WILLIAMS LOSES POINT 9. CUTAWAY TO TOURNAMENT FLAG 10 CLOSE UP OF NOVOTNA PLAY 11 WIDE SHOT OF PLAY AS NOVOTNA WINS RALLY 12 CUTAWAY OF CROWD SHOTS 13 RALLY AS NOVOTNA WINS MATCH AND PLAYERS SHAKE HANDS WITH EACH OTHER AND THE REFEREE 14 SCOREBOARD RESULT SHOWING NOVOTNA WINS 7-5, 6-4 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
  • Embargoed: 15th November 1997 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: MOSCOW, RUSSIA
  • City:
  • Country: Russia
  • Reuters ID: LVAEFT3G1JL3HCBTFM3O2NKEHV3Z
  • Story Text: World No.2 Jana Novotna has beaten American youngster Venus Williams to book her place in the semi-final of the Kremlin Cup in Moscow on Friday (October 31).

    World number two Jana Novotna, overcame some patchy serving to ease past Venus Williams 7-5 6-4 and into the semi-finals of the $926,000 Kremlin Cup on Friday (October 31).

    The rangy American teenager had her moments but her nerve at times appeared to fail and the Czech top seed found an extra gear when it mattered.

    Williams led 5-4 in the first set, but Novotna levelled and then broke back to take the first set 7-5.

    Trailing 4-3 in the second set, Williams led 15-40 in the next game, and had a real chance to break back.

    But a couple of unforced errors from the American, combined with Novotna's impeccable baseline game, allowed the Czech to recover to sereve out the match.

    "I just don't think I played those points smart enough, aggressive enough," the 17-year-old Williams said afterwards.

    "I don't think I played my best," said Novotna, 12 years her senior.

    Novotna, who will now face fourth seed Conchita Martinez of Spain or France's Sandrine Testud, forecast a "great future" for Williams, who she was playing for the first time.


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