Ivanovic slides into semis

Ivanovic: Safely into last four

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Ana Ivanovic moved a step closer in her quest to become the new world No.1 after beating Patty Schnyder 6-3 6-2 to reach the French Open semi-finals.

The Serbian sensation will meet compatriot Jelena Jankovic for a place in the final after breezing to victory inside 76 minutes.

Swiss number 10 seed Schnyder, simply had no answer to the class of the world number two who, if crowned champion on Saturday will claim the world number one spot left vacant by the departure of Justine Henin.

Ivanovic took the first set 6-3 and she immediately broke to love in the opening game of the second, a deft drop-shot winner doing the damage on break point.

Chances missed

Schnyder had three break points on the Ivanovic serve in the following game, but she could not convert any of them and when the Serb went 3-0, there was no way back for her opponent.

Jankovic reached the semi-finals with a 6-3 6-2 victory over Spanish qualifier Carla Suarez Navarro.

Navarro, the surprise package of the women's tournament after wins over Amelie Mauresmo and Flavia Pennetta, made a superb start with a service break in the opening game.

However, Jankovic was quickly back on level terms and she began to make her greater class show.

She made the most of her strong first serve as she hit 32 winners compared with 19 unforced errors, while she achieved six service breaks in all.

Kuznetsova through

Earlier in the day fourth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova made it three Russians into the French Open quarter-finals after wrapping up a 6-2 6-3 win over Victoria Azarenka of Belarus.

The tie had to be completed on Tuesday morning after it had been held over from Monday night with the former US Open champion a set ahead and level 2-2 in the second set.

Kuznetsova wasted little time on the resumption and breezed to victory over the 18-year-old to set up a quarter-final tie against the unseeded Kaia Kanepi of Estonia.

Kanepi made it through to her first Grand Slam quarter-final with a 6-3 3-6 6-1 win over Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic in another tie left unfinished on Monday.