Kournikova Continues Her Impressive Play At Lipton

She is photogenic, athletic and exotic, a 16-year-old Russian who may soon become the most famous female in sports.

All Anna Kournikova needs to do is win, and she’s winning a lot at the Lipton Championships in Key Biscayne, Fla.

With cameras tracking her every move again Wednesday, the flamboyant tennis starlet extended her winning streak against top-10 players by beating second-ranked Lindsay Davenport 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 in the quarterfinals.

Kournikova eliminated No. 5 Monica Seles and No. 9 Conchita Martinez earlier in the tournament. Her opponent in the semifinals today will be No. 8 Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, a two-time Lipton champion who advanced by defeating Jana Novotna 6-1, 6-1.

Top-ranked Martina Hingis plays Venus Williams in the other semifinal.

In men’s play, Englishman Tim Henman advanced to his first ATP Tour semifinal on U.S. soil by beating Gustavo Kuerten 6-2, 6-4.

He will play Marcelo Rios, a winner over Thomas Enqvist, who was trailing 6-3, 2-0 when he retired because of tendinitis in his right wrist.