Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova was the first player to reach the semi-finals in Warsaw on Friday when she defeated eighth seed Silvia Farina Elia 6-3 6-4. The second seed struggled early on against the 33-year-old Italian, being taken to deuce six times and having to save a break point in the opening game before failing to convert two break points in the second. Her superior power then kicked in and she dropped just three points in the next three games to build a 4-1 lead.
An inconsistent game at 4-2, with two aces followed by a double-fault and a netted forehand, allowed Farina Elia to recover the early break but the Italian dropped her serve in the next game to leave Kuznetsova serving for the set.
A winner at the net then gave Kuznetsova a break for 1-0 in the second set and that proved to be enough to put her into her second semi-final of the year.
COLLATED RESULTS (xdenotes seeding):
FRIDAY'S QUARTER-FINALS: Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS x2) bt Silvia Farina Elia (ITA-x8) 6-3, 6-4; Ana Ivanovic (SEM) bt Nathalie Dechy (FRA-x6) 7-6 (7/2), 6-4.
THURSDAY'S SECOND ROUND: nAna Ivanovic (SEM) bt Vera Zvonareva (RUS x3) 6-2, 6-4; Justine Henin-Hardenne (BEL) bt Maria Vento-Kabchi (VEN) 6-3, 7-5; Patty Schnyder (SUI x4) bt Julia Vakulenko (UKR) 6-2, 6-4; Nathalie Dechy (FRA x6) bt Marta Domachowska (POL) 6-4, 7-6 (7/4).
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