Svetlana Kuznetsova and Jelena Jankovic are the first known semifinalists of this year’s Barleys Dubai Tennis Championships and they will play each other on Friday. In the quarterfinals, Kuznetsova defeated Amelie Mauresmo, while Jankovic advanced with Anna Chakvetadze retiring before even starting the second set.
Second-seeded Kuznetsova beat Mauresmo 6-1 7-6(4). Former world No.1 Mauresmo won the Dubai title in 2002 and finished runner-up last season. This defeat means that the Frenchwoman still hasn’t won three matches in a row since losing her Wimbledon title eight months ago.
Fourth-seeded Jankovic advanced to the semis when her opponent, sixth-seeded Anna Chakvetadze, retired with a left thigh injury. Jankovic confidently took the first set 6-1.
Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova and Serbia’s Jelena Jankovic are tied at 2-2 in their career meetings. The last time they played each other was last year in the final of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome, when Jankovic won the title.
