Venus Reaches for the Stars

Venus Williams advanced to the semifinals of the Hansel Korea Open with another straight-set drubbing, this one over Poland's Marta Domachowska 6-2, 6-3. She'll play Italy's Flavia Pennetta who tossed aside Japan's Ayumi Morita 6-1, 6-2.

In the bottom half of the draw, Eleni Daniilidou advanced when red-hot Agnes Szavay retired with a right thigh injury after leveling the match at a set all. Eleni will play Maria Kirilenko who crushed Catalina Castano 6-0, 6-3.

What's with all these non-competitive women's matches?

Even with her right calf heavily taped apparently for precautionary reasons, Venus, in her bid to qualify for the Season Ending Championships, has entered next week's Japan Open. Roger Federer has withdrawn from the men's event in Toykyo citing fatigue.