MONTREAL -- It was an unceremonious end for one of the du Maurier Open's all-time favourites.
Spain's Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, who has made 10 appearances in Canada and twice won the championship, had never failed to reach the final of the tournament when it was played here. The event alternates each year with Toronto.
However, Sanchez-Vicario saw that four-tournament run end last night at the hands of one the game's emerging stars.
The 28-year-old lost her semi-final match, 6-2, 6-4, to American Serena Williams, before a vocal crowd at Jarry Park.
The show of support for Sanchez-Vicario was somewhat surprising in that Williams had endeared herself to Montrealers this week with her amazing on-court skills and attempts to speak French.
"The crowd was really behind me," said Sanchez-Vicario, who won titles in 1992 and '94 in Montreal. "I've been coming here for a long time. I feel like it's my second home."
Sanchez-Vicario, who got married two weeks ago and doesn't appear ready to put an end to an illustrious career, on several instances showed Williams that she wasn't going to be intimidated.
The four-time Olympian urged the crowd to cheer for her after she hit a cross-court winner in the second set and the more than 10,000 in attendance obliged. The crowd even jeered when questionable line calls went against Sanchez-Vicario.
That seemed to affect Williams, who looked unnerved when she failed to serve out the match with 5-3 lead in the second set.
"I let it get to me," said Williams, who came back to break her opponent the next game and win it. "I hadn't lost my serve all night. I have to learn to block things like that out."
In the end, there was little that Sanchez-Vicario could do to match the sheer power of the 18-year-old Williams. Unforced errors didn't help, either, with Sanchez-Vicario committing 27 in the match and four in a row in the deciding game.
"I gave her a couple of chances I shouldn't have," said Sanchez-Vicario, who has lost her past three meetings against Williams in straight sets after winning the first four matches.
"She is one of the top young players and you have to be at your best to beat her."
