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The Latest: Serena Williams skips post-match news conference

Jun 4, 2015, 12:30 PM

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic celebrates winning the quarterfinal match of the French Open tennis t...

Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates winning the quarterfinal match of the French Open tennis tournament against Spain's Rafael Nadal in three sets, 7-5, 6-3, 6-1, at the Roland Garros stadium, in Paris, France, Wednesday, June 3, 2015. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

(AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

PARIS (AP) — The Latest from the French Open:

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9:10 p.m.

An ill Serena Williams will not attend a post-match news conference after winning her French Open semifinal against Timea Bacsinszky 4-6, 6-3, 6-0.

The top-ranked American, who is aiming for a 20th Grand Slam title, grimaced between points, and during changeovers, she pressed white towels filled with ice against her forehead and neck and guzzled water.

“I have been feeling unwell for a few days, and after this tough match against Timea, I needed to see the tournament doctor,” Williams said in a statement. “I am proud to be back in the final here at Roland Garros.”

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8:09 p.m.

Mike Bryan and Bethanie Mattek-Sands have won the French Open mixed doubles title, beating Lucie Hradecka and Marcin Matkowski 7-6 (3), 6-1.

Bryan is also in the men’s doubles final with his twin brother Bob.

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7:20 p.m.

Top-ranked Serena Williams has reached the French Open final after fighting back from a set down against Timea Bacsinszky.

Williams, who will play first time major finalist Lucie Safarova for her 20th Grand Slam title, struggled for fitness for most of the match but still managed to win 10 games in a row.

Even up 5-0 in the third set, Williams had a thick towel around her neck and rested her head on another towel as she prepared to serve for the match.

The pressure seemed to get to Bacsinszky, a Swiss player seeded 23rd who was playing in her first Grand Slam semifinal.

She lost her composure after leading 3-2 with a break of serve in the second set.

Williams is going for her third French Open title.

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6:50 p.m.

Top-ranked Serena Williams has fought back to win the second set 6-3 against Timea Bacsinszky in their French Open semifinal.

After losing the first set 6-4, Williams looked in trouble as she trailed 3-2 in the second set after dropping her serve.

But she twice broke Bacsinszky, a Swiss player seeded 23rd, and served out the second set.

Williams, seeking her 20th Grand Slam title and her third here at Roland Garros, has been struggling throughout the match in warm and sunny conditions on center court.

She has looked weary during points, put towels around her neck, and regularly patted her forehead during changeovers.

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6:05 p.m.

Timea Bacsinszky has won the first set 6-4 against a struggling Serena Williams in their French Open semifinal.

After losing her serve in the fifth game, Williams sat down with a towel around her neck, and patted her forehead with another towel.

She was panting and coughing during the seventh game then, at the next changeover, held a towel to the right side of her head and chatted with the umpire.

After holding for 5-4, Williams sat down and appeared in a state of confusion as she asked the umpire: “It’s not the set is it? Because they’re sweeping the lines.”

She then pressed a towel hard against her forehead and appeared close to tears.

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5:20 p.m.

Top-ranked Serena Williams and Timea Bacsinszky have started their French Open semifinal.

Bacsinszky, who is seeded 23rd, had to wait for a few minutes in the players’ corridor before Williams joined her, and both players walked out onto center court wearing headphones.

Williams is seeking to win her 20th Grand Slam title and the French Open for the third time. Bacsinszky, who is Swiss, is playing in her first Grand Slam semifinal.

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5:10 p.m.

Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic has reached her first Grand Slam final after beating Ana Ivanovic of Serbia 7-5, 7-5.

The 13th-seeded Czech player staged an impressive comeback after trailing 5-2 in the first set against the seventh-seeded Serb, who won the tournament in 2008.

Safarova, whose previous best Grand Slam showing was a semifinal defeat at Wimbledon last year, fell onto her back and raised her arms in triumph after winning.

Safarova failed to serve out the match on her first attempt, double-faulting on match point and dropping her serve to make it 5-5.

But Safarova seized the momentum by breaking straight back. After Ivanovic saved a second match point at 40-15, Safarova took her next chance with a big forehand.

She next plays either top-ranked Serena Williams or 23rd-seeeded Timea Bacsinszky of Switzerland. They play later Thursday.

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3:50 p.m.

Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic has taken the first set 7-5 against Ana Ivanovic of Serbia in their French Open semifinal, after trailing 5-2.

Ivanovic, the 2008 champion who is seeded seventh, was serving for the set against Safarova, who is bidding to reach her first Grand Slam final.

Safarova, who is seeded 13th, broke back and held to make it 5-5.

She clenched her fist when she broke Ivanovic’s serve again, sending a powerful backhand into Ivanovic’s feet that the Serbian player patted weakly back into the net.

Safarova, a Wimbledon semifinalist last year, held to love in the next game to clinch the set. She has yet to drop a set at this tournament,

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3:17 p.m.

The Bryan brothers now know who they will be playing in the French Open’s doubles final. It will be third-seeded pair Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo, who defeated fifth-seeded Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau 6-3, 7-5.

The Bryans are bidding for a third title at Roland Garros.

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1:37 p.m.

No surprise here: Less than six months into the year, Novak Djokovic has already qualified for the ATP World Tour Finals.

A French Open quarterfinal victory over nine-time champion Rafael Nadal assured the No. 1-ranked Djokovic of earning the first berth in the men’s season-ending tournament, held in November in London.

The Serb will have a chance to become the first player to win the title at the ATP finals four years in a row.

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1:25 p.m.

Top-seeded pair Bob and Mike Bryan reached the French Open doubles final for the sixth time with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Italian duo Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini.

The twin brothers converted four of their five break points to edge the Australian Open champions on Court Philippe Chatrier in 59 minutes.

The 37-year-old Bryans extended their record to 60-14 at Roland Garros, where they claimed the first of their 16 Grand Slam titles 12 years ago. They won again in Paris in 2013.

They will play either No. 3 pair Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo or No. 5 seeds Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau in the final.

Mike Bryan has another match scheduled on center court later Thursday, teaming up with Bethanie Mattek-Sands in the mixed doubles final.

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The Latest: Serena Williams skips post-match news conference