 Schnyder's last elite semi was in August 2007 |
Jelena Jankovic was dumped out of the Madrid Open by Patty Schnyder as the Swiss veteran reached her first elite level semi-final in nearly two years. Each player was broken three times in a 68-minute first set before Schnyder took the tie-break against the fourth seed, going on to win 7-6 (8-6) 6-3. In the semi-final Schnyder, 30, will meet top seed Dinara Safina, who beat Ukrainian Alona Bondarenko 6-4 6-3. Amelie Mauresmo will face Caroline Wozniacki in the other semi-final. "I had a lot of trouble with the high balls. I have a good game but I just have to learn how to close out those points at the net," said Jankovic after her defeat. "I was unlucky in the tie-break and then it was all downhill. I want to analyse the match and then quickly forget it." Danish ninth seed Wozniacki defeated Russia's Vera Dushevina 6-0 6-4, while former world number one Mauresmo, ranked 21st, won 5-7 6-1 6-1 at the Caja Magica.  | 606: DEBATE |
The 29-year-old Frenchwoman has slipped down the rankings in recent years but suggested a revival by winning in Paris in February. Mauresmo's defeat of world number five Elena Dementieva in the third round was her fourth win over a top-five opponent this year after Ana Ivanovic (Brisbane), plus Jankovic and Dementieva in Paris. That represents her best showing in a season since 2006 when she notched five wins over top-five opposition. "There are some things I do better now, and some things that I am not as good at as I used to be," Mauresmo said. "Things are evolving, changing a little bit." Wozniacki is projected to become the first Danish woman to break into the top 10 when the latest rankings are announced on Monday.
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