Dein erstes Forum » iants a 5-2 lead. Gregor Blancos bases-loaded walk

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Top-ranked Serena Williams had little trouble joining sister Venus, in the Dubai Championships semifinals on Thursday. Serena, playing her first tournament since a fourth-round loss at the Australian Open, had little trouble bypassing fifth-seeded Jelena Jankovic of Serbia 6-2, 6-2 in the quarterfinals. The only blip in Williams game came when she lost serve in a tentatively played fifth game in the first set. "She was the better player tonight," Jankovic said. "Way better. "I just played a bad match on my terms." The only drama in the 76-minute match came in the final game with Jankovic serving. The umpire, Kader Nouni of France, told Jankovic she was serving too fast and then too slow, when taking more than the 25 seconds allotted. Williams was briefly brought into the fray when Jankovic made note that Williams often took more than the 25 seconds allowed to serve. After the match, the players conversed at the net and both reported they left the court on good terms. "I told her at the end, Look, I didnt mean anything. Im sorry if I played slow," Williams said. "She was like, No, it was more like they say (I) play too fast and then too slow. She said she couldnt get it right. "I was like, Look, are we cool because Im cool with you?" In that final game, Jankovic initially rebounded from love-40 before Williams won on a fourth match point with a scorching forehand passing shot. Williams will play Alize Cornet of France in the semifinals. Cornet scored a 7-5, 6-3 win over Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain. Venus Williams reached her fourth Dubai semifinal with a 6-3, 7-5 win over qualifier Flavia Pennetta of Italy. Williams, who won this title in 2009 and 2010, had to serve for the match twice in the second set. "She just keeps fighting," Williams said of Pennetta. "She stays relevant. Thats what she does really well. I have to give her credit for that." Serving at 5-4 in the second set, Williams missed out on a match point when Pennetta hit a forehand crosscourt winner to bring the score to deuce. Four points later and Pennetta broke serve to even the score at 5-5. After Pennetta dropped serve in the 11th game Williams had a second chance to close out the match. Initially, Williams fell behind 0-40. On a second match point Pennetta popped a return long to concede the win. Williams will play eighth-seeded Caroline Wozniacki, the 2011 Dubai champion, in Fridays semifinals. Wozniacki had little trouble dispatching 27th-ranked Sorana Cirstea of Romania 6-1, 6-2. "That was really pleasing, and I always know that Sorana can be a tricky opponent," Wozniacki said. "I felt like I served well and I put the pressure on her and played the way I wanted to play today." Although not guaranteed, Venus Williams wasnt opposed to thinking ahead to the possibility of an all-Williams final on Saturday. 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Toronto FC hosts the three-time Italian league champions in a friendly Aug. 7 at BMO Field, a game that Roma CEO Italo Zanzi said falls within a key part of their pre-season.SAN FRANCISCO -- Hunter Pence hit his career-best 26th home run to back a shaky outing by Ryan Vogelsong and the San Francisco Giants beat the San Diego Padres 7-3 Friday night. Brandon Belt and Juan Perez also homered for San Francisco in the first game of the season-ending series between two teams battling to stay out of the cellar in the NL West. Vogelsong (4-6) gave up a pair of runs in the first three innings and had to pitch out of a two-on, two-out jam in the sixth to win for the first time since Aug. 25. Chris Denorfia singled and scored twice for the Padres, who lost for the sixth time in seven games at San Franciscos waterfront ballpark. An hour after receiving San Franciscos 2013 "Willie Mac Award," given out annually to the most inspirational Giants player, Pence homered off San Diego starter Burch Smith to cap a three-run third inning. The 30-year-old outfielder is set to become a free agent this off-season and has already stated his desire to return to San Francisco. Belt also homered in the third while Perez hit his first career home run in the second. Vogelsong did just enough to make it hold up. The Giants right-hander, who missed more than 2 1/2 months after breaking bones near the pinkie of his pitching hand on a swing in May, allowed five hits over six innings. He walked four and struck out three. San Francisco is trying to close out its season on a strong note after struggling nearly all season. The defending World Series champs (75-85) are guaranteed of their worst finish since going 72-90 in 2008. The Padres had won two straight before falling into a tie with the Giants with two games left. Both teams are 17 games out of first place iin the NL West.dddddddddddd Smith (1-3) allowed six runs and eight hits over 5 2-3 innings. The San Diego rookie walked three and struck out eight, giving him 42 in 31 innings. Tommy Medicas RBI single in the first inning gave the Padres an early lead. San Francisco answered with three home runs to go in front for good. Perezs home run, a two-out line drive to left after Pablo Sandoval walked earlier in the inning, made it 2-1. After Denorfia walked and scored in the third to tie it, Belt hit a two-run shot in the bottom of the inning. Two batters later, Pence snapped an 0-for-27 skid with his two-run blast to give the Giants a 5-2 lead. Gregor Blancos bases-loaded walk in the sixth forced in Brandon Crawford to make it 6-2. San Diego loaded the bases in the eighth but reliever Santiago Casilla struck out Jesus Guzman then got Nick Hundley to ground into a 1-2-3 double play. Pinch-hitter Logan Forsythe homered in the ninth off Javier Lopez for San Diego. NOTES: Blanco was thrown out twice trying to extend hits in the first and eighth, and was picked off base in the fourth. ... The Giants have 105 home runs this season. They had 103 for all of 2012. ... San Francisco trainer Dave Groeschner said 2B Marco Scutaro had successful surgery to put a pin in his left pinkie. ... Padres closer Huston Street was given the night off. ... San Diego backup catcher Rene Rivera has left the team to join his wife in Puerto Rico for the birth of twins. ... Because of a day game after a night game, Chris Robinson will start at catcher for the Padres on Saturday. ... Members of the Americas Cup winning Oracle Team USA attended the game. ' ' '