Raymond knocks off Martinez on Big Island

Advertiser Staff

Lisa Raymond is the only American remaining after yesterday's Big Island Championships quarterfinals at Waikoloa, Hawai'i.

Raymond, the No. 2 seed, outlasted seventh-seeded Spaniard Conchita Martinez 6-4, 6-7 (2), 6-4. The match lasted 2 hours and 33 minutes in hot and humid conditions at Hilton Waikoloa Village.

The win moves Raymond into today's semifinals against Belgian Els Callens. She beat American Samantha Reeves, 4-6, 7-5, 6-0. In the other semifinal, Spain's Gala Leon Garcia plays Cara Black of Zimbabwe.

The highly anticipated showdown between Raymond, ranked 25th in the world, and Martinez, the 1994 Wimbledon champion, was worth the wait.

"It was a tough match and it was battle of wills in the end," Raymond said. "The clouds came over in the third, but the first couple sets were brutal (in the heat).You just had to work for every point out there. I capitalized on coming in and playing the big points a little better than she did today."

Raymond held two match points at 6-5 in the second set. But Martinez held serve and won the tiebreak (7-2). Raymond overcame a 1-3 deficit in the final set.

Leon Garcia, 28, scored an easy 6-0, 6-3 victory over American Jill Craybas. Black ousted fourth-seeded Russian Elena Likhovtseva 6-4, 6-0 to reach her first 2002 WTA semifinal.

Today's semifinal action begins at 10 a.m., as does tomorrow's singles final. First prize in this $140,000 Sanex WTA Tour event is $22,000.