Paris: Elena Dementieva recovered from a sticky start to beat fellow Russian Nadia Petrova and reach the semi-finals of the French Open yesterday.
The two baseliners renewed a professional rivalry dating back to 1997 on a rainy Court Suzanne Lenglen and it was fifth seed Dementieva who played the sharper tennis after losing the opening three games to record a 2-6 6-2 6-0 victory.
Both players received treatment for thigh injuries midway through the opening set and Petrova, who knocked out Venus Williams in the previous round, needed more attention after Dementieva levelled the match.
A confident Dementieva cruised through the deciding set as Petrova struggled to move properly, wrapping up victory with a forehand down the line after two hours and five minutes.
Landmark win
The 28-year-old Dementieva has now reached nine semi-finals, but is yet to win one of the four grand slams. She faces Italy's Francesca Schiavone in the last four.
Meanwhile, Francesca Schiavone achieved a landmark victory for Italy yesterday when she upset third seed Caroline Wozniacki 6-2, 6-3 to reach the semi-finals. The 29-year-old used her claycourt experience to perfect effect to secure victory in 80 minutes and become the first Italian woman in the Open era to reach the last four of a grand slam event.
Wozniacki, the youngest of the women's quarter-finalists, seemed to be struggling with her movement and the 19-year-old was guilty of too many unforced errors.
Schiavone, the 17th seed, took full advantage with three service breaks in the first set and after breaking for 5-3 in the second she completed victory with a superb smash.
Meanwhile, rain interrupted play in the first two men's quarter-finals.
The players came off at 5:35 pm (1535 GMT) with the match between top seed and title-holder Roger Federer and Sweden's Robin Soderling finely poised at 5-5 in the third with the set scores level at one all.
Federer won the first set 6-3 with Soderling hitting back to take the second 6-3.
In the other match, out on the Suzanne Lenglen showcourt, Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic took the first set 6-3 against Mikhail Youzhny of Russia and it was 1-1 in the second set.
RESULTS
Women's singles (quarter-finals):
- Francesca Schiavone (ITA x17) bt Caroline Wozniacki (DEN x3) 6-2, 6-3; Elena Dementieva (RUS x5) bt Nadia Petrova (RUS x19) 2-6, 6-2, 6-0.
- Women's doubles (quarter-finals): Nuria Llagoestera Vives/Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez (ESP x2) bt Monica Niculescu/Shahar Peer (ROM/ISR) 6-2, 6-4
Men's doubles (quarter-finals):
- Lukas Dlouhy/Leander Paes (CZE/IND x3) bt Mariusz Fyrstenberg/Marcin Matkowski (POL/POL x8) 6-1, 6-3; Julian Knowle/Andy Ram (AUT/ISR x10) bt Marcelo Melo/Bruno Soares (BRA/BRA) 6-7 (3/7), 6-2, 6-0.
- Mixed doubles (quarter-finals):
- Vania King/Christopher Kas (USA/GER) bt Tathiana Garbin/Marcin Matkowski (ITA/POL) 6-4, 3-6, 1-0.
