Serena hasn't taken a bow

MELBOURNE -- What do you do for an encore?

If you're Sister Serena, aspiring actress whose day job is playing tennis, you take a few bows, smile a lot, and are pleased to be scheduled for another audition tomorrow.

The role sought by her and five rivals -- two Russians, a Czech, a Swiss, a Belgian -- is that of The Queen in a seven-act drama called "The Australian Open." Williams, a Floridian abroad, knows that part cold because she played it in 2003 and 2005, getting rave notices from the critics. However, a lot of critics -- people she scorns as negativists -- felt she'd forgotten her best lines, and stumbled through the few gigs she's had: 15 tournaments over the last 24 months. Scattered wins, no titles in two years, since this one. Hardly ready for prime time anymore.

The critics were wrong, and despite them, she showed up at the Melbourne Park amphitheater, No. 81 on the casting list. Indeed, there was stumbling and fumbling. But she looked the part most of the time and kept coming back for one more appearance, one more harrowing escape.

Yesterday was the day to run through the fifth act again, the quarterfinals. For Williams, it had been a sweet breeze from the nearby sea in 2003 and 2005 as she tersely crushed Amelie Mauresmo and Daniela Hantuchova.

However, this go-round took on melodramatic tones. An Israeli soldier named Shahar Peer peered at The Queen and boldly decided on regicide. Quickly, Peer made Williams uncomfortable. Not stage-frightened. That never happens to Williams. Yet she was aware that the disrespectful teenager out of Jerusalem could give her the hook -- removal from the stage where she had glistened.

Peer, a swift, sturdy 19-year-old clad in yellow and acting the top banana, was on the verge of the final four. The best player to be raised in the Holy Land, she was a holy terror in pushing Williams to the brink: 2 points from elimination, serving at 6-5, 30-all, in the chaotic, erratic final set.

Since the tournament's beginning, No. 16 Peer had been looked after by her own loud and loving Greek chorus: about 30 young Israelis fast-clapping, flapping Star of David flags, and chanting, in Hebrew, such encouragement as "Shahar, we love you!"

"They pulled me through when I was down two match points against [Tatiana] Golovin in the third round," said Peer. Now they had to pull her only 2 more points. Close enough to taste.

But from all areas of the full house of 15,000 came less organized counter-cheers in English for Williams. It was bedlam.

"I hated the situation," said Williams. "Tired of it. I don't know why I had to be in it because I'd been ahead, 4-1. I didn't have to be there. All I had to do was hold serve twice."

But she didn't. "I was 2 points from the flight home. But" -- and this is the essence of Serena Williams -- "I just become sangfroid. I get so calm. I'm floating. I feel so happy. It relaxes me and releases me. A pity it doesn't happen when I'm up, 4-1."

Didn't matter. It was the beginning of the end -- a 3-6, 6-2, 8-6 court-martial -- for Private Peer, on privileged sporting leave from the Israeli army. Floating where she'd been staggering, Williams suddenly surged. She stopped spraying errors (49 to Peer's 34) and turned on the heavy-duty groundies, banging winners for herself and mistakes from Peer. From that 6-5, 30-all precipice, she bounded into the semifinals by grabbing 12 of the last 14 points. At last, everything was kosher after 2 hours 34 minutes.

Peer, she of damaging forehand, slick retrieving feet, but shaky serve, said, "Serena was coming up with huge serves on the important points. At 4-4 in the third, I had three break points. She hit aces [two, and a service winner]. You can do nothing. Just clap hands for her."

"I like my serve -- I can always depend on it," said Williams, who blotted 10 of 13 break points. "I'm happy for Shahar playing for Israel. They have just one person going the lone ride."

Well, Williams is that one person on the lone ride for the US this desolate year, the first here since 1976 that no American woman has been seeded. She has enjoyed scattering seeds: No. 5 Nadia Petrova, No. 11 Jelena Jankovic, No. 16 Peer. Next: No. 10, Czech 17-year-old Nicole Vaidisova.

"For Petrova [who also served for the match], I had to dig really deep," said Williams. "Today was incredible, but I wasn't as strong. I came out flat, a little slow."

Though looking tired, Williams said she wasn't.

"I've got a lot more left in my tank," she said. "Nobody thought I'd get this far but me and my mom. I like being the underdog, but you can't be an underdog forever. I won't be No. 81 anymore. I like being No. 1, expected to win. I like that pressure."

For Williams and her followers, it was a bumpy ride. Not until she held serve to 3-2 in the second was it at all bearable. Clashes between Russian 19-year-olds Maria Sharapova and Anna Chakvetadze, Belgian Kim Clijsters and Swiss Martina Hingis will complete the semis.

Act 6 looms for Serena. She can feel that crown on her head again, experienced as the leading lady. As a sideline, she did this quarterfinal cameo on Israeli TV. In the live broadcast, aired at 4 a.m., she was, of course, the Wicked Witch of the West.