Venus-Serena final in offing

DOHA, Qatar – The Williams sisters could be headed for a final matchup at the Sony Ericsson Championships after Venus advanced to the knockout rounds along with Jelena Jankovic and Caroline Wozniacki on Friday.

Venus, the defending champion, lost her first two group matches but advanced on a countback of sets thanks to Svetlana Kuznetsova’s 6-3, 6-2 win over Elena Dementieva. Venus joined unbeaten sister Serena Williams in the semifinals from the Maroon Group.

Venus, Kuznetsova and Dementieva all finished with one win and two losses.

Jankovic advanced by routing a tired Wozniacki, 6-2, 6-2, but the 19-year-old Dane also went through from the injury-plagued White Group when Victoria Azarenka had to retire against alternate Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland when trailing, 4-6, 7-5, 4-1, in the most dramatic match of the day.                                (AP)