Triple champion Roger Federer and two-time winner Venus Williams took different paths yesterday to the semifinals of the US Open.
World number one Federer stopped American Andy Roddick 7-6, 7-6, 6-2 in businesslike fashion while Williams was pushed to the brink before beating Jelena Jankovic 4-6, 6-1, 7-6,setting up an engaging semifinal with top seed Justine Henin.
A trio of Russians - Svetlana Kuznetsova, Anna Chakvetadze and Nikolay Davydenko - have already booked their places in the last four.
Defending champion Federer took two hours to record his 14th win in 15 games against Roddick, who had 14 aces but could not overcome 42 winners and only 18 unforced errors by the Swiss.
"It was a tough match and he was serving out of a tree," said Federer. "But I came through in the end. It was a beautiful night."
On the women's side, Williams won the decisive tiebreak 7-4 under the lights in sold-out Arthur Ashe Stadium to snap a three-match losing streak against third seed Jankovic.
Despite a lopsided middle frame, neither player could manage a final-set service break. In the tiebreak, 12th-seeded Williams bolted out to a 5-1 lead and held on to win.
"I would have loved to have a couple breaks in the third set and cruised," said Williams, who had lost to Jankovic in their two previous Grand Slam meetings. "She's a very good competitor, and anyone has to play a lot of balls against her.
"I just went for it all the time non-stop and it paid off."
Jankovic said she fought as hard as she could.
"I tried to win. But tonight, it didn't go my way. A few points in the tiebreaker I made some unforced errors. But you have to take the loss and have to go on."
Kuznetsova ended the run of Hungarian teenager Agnes Szavay to set up a match against Chakvetadze, while Davydenko beat German Tommy Haas and now faces the unenviable task of taking on Federer.
Kuznetsova never lost her serve and needed only 67 minutes to beat the 18-year-old Szavay 6-1, 6-4. Sixth-seeded Chakvetadze, 20, advanced to the last four of a Grand Slam for the first time by overwhelming Israeli 18th seed Shahar Peer 6-4, 6-1.
Fourth seed Davydenko won his fifth consecutive straight-sets match with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 quarter-final victory over Haas.
