New Haven, Connecticut - Venus Williams beat second-seeded Jennifer Capriati, 6-4 7-6 (1), in a semifinal match at the Pilot Pen, just hours after she had won a three-set quarterfinal over Justine Henin.
The third-seeded Williams will play top-seeded Lindsay Davenport in the final on Saturday. Davenport advanced when No 4 Kim Clijsters pulled out because of a leg injury.
Williams, the two-time defending champion, showed no fatigue in the Friday night match, instead looked stronger, faster and more accurate. The quarterfinal had been postponed from Thursday night by rain. It was the first time in Williams' professional career she played two singles matches in a tournament on the same day.
Williams said fatigue was not a factor Friday night.
"I'm just riding on a high," she said. "Jennifer played very well. I had to play my best."
She beat the fifth-seeded Henin 6-3 5-7 6-2 in the afternoon. In all she played 52 games in three hours, 30 minutes.
Williams has not lost a match in New Haven and the second set against Henin is the only one she has lost.
Willliams and Capriati, both power players, locked up in long baseline volleys throughout the match. But it was Williams's strong service game and range that made the difference. Except for pinpoint winners, Capriati had few places to land the ball because Williams seemed to reach the ball from anywhere.
"I think it's a great match for me because my game is more in tune and it's always great to play a power hitter," Williams said.
Williams pounced repeatedly on Capriati's second serve. Capriati held serve just once in the first set. Williams had four of her five aces in the first set.
Capriati dug in for the second set and rallied from 1-4 to send it to a tiebreaker. After Capriati evened the tiebreaker at 1-1, Williams ran off the next six points, taking the match when Capriati sent a forehand into the net.
"This is one of the better matches I've seen her play this week," Capriati said.
Williams beat Davenport in the finals of the 1999 Pilot Pen and since then is 5-2 against her.
Clijsters strained her right thigh in Thursday's quarterfinal win over Nathalie Tauziat and said it didn't improve overnight. With the US Open looming, she pulled out just hours before the scheduled semifinal with Davenport.
"I'm sorry it had to end this way," she said. "I think it's the best decision for my health. I'm going to rest for a few days and get a lot of treatment. I hope I can start on Tuesday at the US Open."
Clijsters beat Davenport for the first time in five tries in the title match in Stanford, California, last month.
The walkover gives Davenport two days' rest going into the final.
"I've had so many injuries over my career and it's really heartbreaking when you can't even take the court," she said. "I sympathise with Kim a lot."
Williams called her quarterfinal with Henin a "great practice" for her night match. Williams was serving for the match at 5-4 in the second set against Henin but lost 11 of the next 13 points to send the match into the third set. - Sapa-AP