Luke Walton and Derek Fisher sustained minor injuries yesterday during the Los Angeles Lakers' training camp at the 'Iolani School gym in Hawai'i.

Walton strained his right hamstring and is listed as day-to-day. Fisher received a deep, 1-inch gash to the forehead when he took an elbow from center Larry Turner.

Walton sat out the remainder of the workout, while Fisher did not require stitches and returned. Kobe Bryant didn't participate in the final minutes of practice as he iced his left knee.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson said injuries during camp are inevitable.

"They're going to happen," he said. "Guys are getting in shape and in the process they've got tight muscles and things get stretched, pulled, etc."

TENNIS

VENUS IN TOKYO FINALS; SEEKS 2ND TITLE IN ROW

Top-seeded Venus Williams defeated Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki, 6-3, 7-5, yesterday to advance to the final of the Japan Open in Tokyo.

Williams will face fifth-seeded Virginie Razzano in today's final after the Frenchwoman beat Flavia Pennetta of Italy, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3.

Williams is playing in the tournament for the first time and is bidding for her fourth title of the season. She won the Korea Open on Sunday.

"It's been a while since I won two in a row," Williams said. "I'm thinking, 'Can I do this?' It's exciting."

NO. 1 HENIN ADVANCES TO PORCHE SEMIFINALS

Top-ranked Justine Henin struggled to beat Elena Dementieva, 6-4, 6-4, yesterday and Svetlana Kuznetsova defeated Serena Williams, 6-3, 6-3, to advance to the semifinals of the Porsche Grand Prix at Stuttgart, Germany.

Henin will play Jelena Jankovic, who made the semifinals when defending champion Nadia Petrova retired in the second set because of a hip injury. The third-seeded Serb trailed 6-7 (5), 5-1 when Petrova retired.

Kuznetsova, the 2004 U.S. Open champion and this year's runner-up, will play Tatiana Golovin, who beat qualifier Kateryna Bondarenko, 6-3, 6-4.