Top seed Dinara Safina came from a set down to beat Victoria Azarenka in the quarter-final of the French Open.
Top seed extended to three sets at Roland Garros
World number one Dinara Safina recovered from a nightmare opening set to see off Victoria Azarenka in the quarter-final of the French Open.
Safina, bidding for a maiden Grand Slam title, eventually prevailed 1-6 6-4 6-2 in a ferocious battle between two of the most powerful players in the women's game.
Azarenka stormed through the opening set in 23 minutes, giving Safina a taste of her own medicine with a superb display of cross-court hitting.
The 19-year-old slammed 10 winners and just one unforced error, bagging breaks in the first, fifth and seventh games while remaining resolute on her own delivery.
Her purple patch did not last, however, as Safina turned things around early in the second set.
Agitated
The Russian broke in the third and fifth games for a 4-1 lead before an increasingly agitated Azarenka briefly returned to form.
The ninth seed showed impressive resolve to retrieve the double break and level at 4-4.
But the statuesque Belarussian surrendered her own serve to love and Safina stepped up to close out the set in the next game, prompting Azarenka to throw down her racket in frustration.
And Safina dominated the decider, taking the initiative with a break in the opening game before reeling off five of the next seven to complete victory in an hour and 52 minutes.
"She played well in the first set. I wasn't doing anything. I played in her zone and hit down the middle and did all the running," admitted Safina.
"But then I fought hard and she missed too much. I always fight to the end, right until the match is over."
She will play Dominika Cibulkova from Slovakia in the semi-finals after the 20th seed
crushed Maria Sharapova 6-0 6-2.
