Venus reaches Dubai semis

DUBAI, Feb 20 (AFP): Venus Williams continued to raise hopes of a return to the top echelons with her third straight sets win in a row and a place in the semi-finals of the Dubai Open Thursday

The seven-times former Grand Slam winner overcame Flavia Pennetta, the seed-destroying Italian, 6-4, 7-5 with a mixed performance which included a slow start and a tense finish but some typically powerful ground stroking during the guts of the match

It followed her rather more impressive conquests of Ana Ivanovic, the former world number one, and Elena Vesnina, the Russian she had never previously beaten, and increased Venus' chances of regaining a title she captured last time she was here, five years ago.

However she failed to serve out for the match at 5-4 and then went love-40 down when she attempted to close it out at 6-5, and there were suggestions she might have been getting low on energy.