DUBAI, Feb 20: Defending champion Amelie Mauresmo reached the semifinals of the Dubai Open on Thursday after defeating Russia’s Lina Krasnoroutskaya 6-2 6-4.

The second seed from France said the trauma caused by the cartilage injury to her right knee, which kept her out of the game for four months, had made her a tougher player.

Mauresmo will next meet fourth-seeded American Monica Seles who dismissed Iroda Tulyaganova of Uzbekistan 6-1 7-5.

Krasnoroutskaya went through a similar crisis when she badly sprained an ankle last year and missed several months. After returning last July, she is only now returning to the level she enjoyed before the injury.

She made a clumsy start against Mauresmo, dropping the first four games. She also struggled with her serve throughout the match, hitting 10 double-faults.

But at other times she caught Mauresmo cold with stunning returns and fiercely-struck winners. That inconsistency caused Mauresmo a few problems.

Results (prefix number denotes seeding):

Quaterfinals: 2-Amelie Mauresmo (France) beat Lina Krasnoroutskaya (Russia) 6-2 6-4; 4-Monica Seles (U.S.) beat Iroda Tulyaganova (Uzbekistan) 6-1 7-5

Playing later

3-Jennifer Capriati (U.S.) v Conchita Martinez (Spain); 1-Justine Henin-Hardenne (Belgium) v 5-Anastasia Myskina (Russia)—Reuters