Safina in semi-finals

STTUTGART: Top-ranked Dinara Safina and defending champion Jelena Jankovic remained on course to meet in the Porsche Grand Prix semi-finals. Safina ended a three-match losing streak against Daniela Hantuchova by beating the Slovak 6-4, 6-2.

Jankovic outlasted Germany’s Sabine Lisicki 7-5, 5-7, 6-3 and will next play Flavia Pennetta of Italy, who won 6-2, 6-2 over sixth-seeded Nadia Petrova. Second-seeded Elena Dementieva beat Agnes Szavay of Hungary 7-6 (4), 6-1 and set up a quarter-final clash against Marion Bartoli of France.

Also through was fifth-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova, who beat Li Na of China 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 to set up a quarter-final match with Gisela Dulko of Argentina.