October 14, 2007	Sunday	Shawwal 1, 1428

MOSCOW, Oct 13: Top seed Svetlana Kuznetsova lead the charge of Russian women into the semi-finals of the Kremlin Cup here on Friday.

The US Open runner-up coasted into the final four past compatriot Vera Dushevina 6-2, 6-2 in 71 minutes, to set up a meeting with US fourth seed Serena Williams.

Serena is the only non-Russian left in the WTA event as she saw off Czech eighth seed Nicole Vaidisova for the third time in as many meetings 6-4, 7-6 (9/7).

And the seventh-ranked American, who has a 2-1 record against Kuznetsova, will be looking for revenge after being beaten by the world number two for the first time in the quarter-finals at Stuttgart last week.

Dinara Safina beat compatriot Vera Zvonareva 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 to meet another Russian, two-time runner-up Elena Dementieva who got past Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 7-6 (7/4), 6-2.

In the men’s event, top seed and defending champion Nikolay Davydenko is the only Russian left in the ATP event after he ousted compatriot Igor Andreev.

Davydenko came through a 7-5, 7-5 winner against 2005 champion Andreev and next meets unheralded Serb Janko Tipsarevic, who defeated Czech Radek Stepanek 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.

Fourth seed Paul-Henri Mathieu also clinched a last four berth with a 6-3, 6-3 win over fellow Frenchman Florent Serra.

The 25-year-old Mathieu will face unseeded German Michael Berrer, who reached his first career semi-final at the age of 27 years after his eighth-seeded compatriot Philipp Kohlschreiber retired with a back injury after losing the first set 6-3.

Results (x denotes seeding):

Quarter-finals:

Women’s: Serena Williams (US x4) bt Nicole Vaidisova (CZE x8) 6-4, 7-6 (9/7); Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS x1) bt Vera Dushevina (RUS) 6-2, 6-2; Dinara Safina (RUS) bt Vera Zvonareva (RUS) 6-2, 3-6, 6-3; Elena Dementieva (RUS) bt Victoria Azarenka (BLR) 7-6 (7/4), 6-2.

Men’s: Nikolay Davydenko (RUX x1) bt Igor Andreev (RUS) 7-5, 7-5; Michael Berrer (GER) bt Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER x8) 6-3 retired; Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA x4) bt Florent Serra (FRA) 6-3, 6-3; Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) bt Radek Stepanek (CZE) 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.

LJUBICIC BEATEN

VIENNA: Top seed Novak Djokovic had to fight off two match points, and defending champion Ivan Ljubicic was beaten in the quarter-finals of the BA-CA Trophy here on Friday.

Djokovic was stretched to the limit by Argentina’s Juan Ignacio Chela, winning 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (7/2), while Ljubicic slumped to a 6-3, 6-3 defeat at the hands of Italy’s Andrea Seppi.In the other quarter-finals, Switzerland’s Stansilas Wawrinka defeated Feliciano Lopez of Spain 6-7 (8/10), 6-3, 6-4, to set up a meeting with the in-form Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain who defeated struggling second seeded Fernando Gonzalez of Chile 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.

Djokovic made a perfect start against Chela, breaking to lead 2-0. He was aggressive from the baseline and mixed up his game with some deft touches at the net, a number of drop-shots and even some occasional serve and volleying.

After securing the first set the Serb went on to break for 3-2 and led 4-2 in the second, but he was increasingly having to defend against the heavy Chela forehand. Almost all the games were closely contested, and after Chela levelled at 4-4 he forced an error to break again for the set.

Chela had the upper hand in the final set, holding three break points at 1-0 and another at 2-1, but Djokovic held off the threat, and then survived two match points when Chela led 5-4 and 40-15 on the Djokovic serve. Then, after struggling throughout the set, Djokovic dominated the tie-break, surrendering just two points.

Results:

Quarter-finals: Andreas Seppi (ITA) bt Ivan Ljubicic (CRO x3) 6-3, 6-3; Stansilas Wawrinka (SUI) bt Feliciano Lopez (ESP) 6-7 (8/10), 6-3, 6-4; Novak Djokovic (SRB x1) bt Juan Ignacio Chela (ARG-7) 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (7/2); Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP) bt Fernando Gonzalez (CHI-x2) 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.

BLAKE KEEPS WINNING STREAK

STOCKHOLM: James Blake rescued his perfect record at the Stockholm Open with a nail-biting 6-7 (1/7), 6-4, 6-2 victory on Friday over feisty Finnish opponent Jarkko Nieminen.

The tight quarter-final win which brought the top seed to a flawless 13-0 record at the event, was a re-play of last year’s final.

Nieminen, seeded sixth and twice a losing finalist, looked ready for an upset as he recovered from a break down in the opening set, sweeping the tie-breaker and seizing early momentum.

But Blake, under pressure from break points in the second set, refused to fold, earning a 5-4 lead on a break and firing an ace on set point to level.

That opened the floodgates as the American took charge of the thriller as he ran away with the third.

Results:

Quarter-finals: Ivo Karlovic (CRO x7) bt Arnaud Clement (FRA) 7-6 (7/1), 3-6, 7-6 (9/7); Tommy Haas (GER x4) bt Juan Monaco (ARG x5) 6-3, 6-3; Thomas Johansson (SWE) bt Mario Ancic (CRO) 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7/3); James Blake (US x1) bt arkko Nieminen (FIN x6) 6-7 (1/7), 6-4, 6-2.

VENUS EASES INTO SEMIS

BANGKOK: Six-time Grand Slam winner Venus Williams cruised into the Bangkok Open semi-finals on Friday with a straight-sets victory over France’s Camille Pin.

Venus, making her sixth straight quarter-final appearance, defeated the Frenchwoman 6-1, 6-1 in little more than an hour. She will square off with the tournament’s seventh-seed Flavia Pennetta of Italy, who came back from a set down to oust third-seeded Israeli Shahar Peer 3-6, 6-4, 6-2.

In other action, defending Bangkok Open champion Vania King of the US survived a marathon second round match to upset fifth-seed Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia 6-7 (8/10), 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/4). The clash spanned two days after rain suspended play on Thursday.

Results:

Second round: Vania King (US) bt Dominika Cibulkova (SVK x5) 6-7 (8/10), 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/4).

Quarter-finals: Flavia Pennetta (ITA x7) bt Shahar Peer (ISR x3) 3-6, 6-4, 6-2; Venus Williams (US x2) bt Camille Pin (FRA) 6-1, 6-1; Yan Zi (CHN) bt Vania King (US) (default); Chan Yung-Jan (TPE) bt Urszula Radwanska (POL) 6-2, 6-3.—Agencies