Favourites in last four

Published June 24, 2006

DEN BOSCH (Netherlands), June 23: Russian top seed Elena Dementieva beat Ana Ivanovic of Serbia & Montenegro 7-6, 6-4 on Thursday to reach the semi-finals of the Ordina Open.

Defending men's champion Mario Ancic of Croatia saw off France's Fabrice Santoro 6-4, 6-0 to set up a semi-final meeting with sixth-seed Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus who went through after Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber retired in the second set at 6-2, 3-0 down.

Michaella Krajicek of the Netherlands went through to the last four after eighth-seed Jelena Jankovic from Serbia and Montenegro was forced to retire at 6-6 in the first set.

Russian second seed Dinara Safina also made it to the next round, beating Brenda Schultz-McCarthy of the Netherlands 6-3, 6-4.

She next faces Eleni Daniilidou of Greece who progressed when Argentine qualifier Paola Suarez retired with a calf strain after losing the first set 6-2.

Thursday’s results:

Men’s singles:

Quarter-finals: 3-Mario Ancic (Croatia) beat Fabrice Santoro (France) 6-4, 6-0; 6-Marcos Baghdatis (Cyprus) beat Philipp Kohlschreiber (Germany) 6-2, 3-0 – Kohlschreiber retired; Florent Serra (France) beat 7-Juan Carlos Ferrero (Spain) 6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 6-3; Jan Hernych (Czech Republic) beat Hyung-Taik Lee (South Korea) 6-4, 6-4

Women’s singles:

Quarter-finals: Michaella Krajicek (Netherlands) beat 8-Jelena Jankovic (Serbia & Montenegro) 6 -6 – Jankovic retired; 2-Dinara Safina (Russia) beat Brenda Schultz-McCarthy (Netherlands) 6-3, 6-4; Eleni Daniilidou (Greece) beat Paola Suarez (Argentina) 6-2 – Suarez retired; 1-Elena Dementieva (Russia) beat 5-Ana Ivanovic (Serbia & Montenegro) 7-6 (8-6), 6-4.

NOTTINGHAM OPEN RESULTS:

Men's singles:

Quarter-finals: Jonas Bjorkman (Sweden) beat Feliciano Lopez (Spain) 6-3, 6-4; Andreas Seppi (Italy) beat Andy Murray (Britain) 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 6-1; Robin Soederling (Sweden) beat Janko Tipsarevic (Serbia & Montenegro) 7-6 (7-4), 6-4; Richard Gasquet (France) beat Gilles Simon (France) 6-3, 6-1.

EASTBOURNE RESULTS:

Women’s singles:

Quarter-finals: 5-Anastasia Myskina (Russia) beat Nathalie Dechy (France) 6-4, 6-4; 4-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) beat 7-Anna-Lena Groenefeld (Germany) 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (7-4); 3-Justine Henin-Hardenne (Belgium) beat Elena Likhovtseva (Russia) 6-2, 6-4; 2-Kim Clijsters (Belgium) beat 6-Francesca Schiavone (Italy) 6-2, 6-1.—Reuters

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