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Jankovic, Safina, Dementieva Reach Moscow Semis

Friday, October 10, 2008

(Sports Network) - Three of the world's top-four female stars, including No. 1 Jelena Jankovic, posted quarterfinal wins Friday at the $1.34 million Kremlin Cup.

The red-hot Jankovic is seeking her third title in three events, as she's fresh off back-to-back championships in Beijing and Stuttgart, respectively.

The top-seeded Jankovic was joined in the semifinals here by second-seeded world No. 3 Dinara Safina and third-seeded world No. 4 Elena Dementieva. Jankovic was this year's U.S. Open runner-up, while Safina reached finals at the French Open and Olympics and Dementieva secured a gold medal in Beijing, back in August.

On Friday, Jankovic handled Italian Flavia Pennetta 7-6 (8-6), 6-3 to setup a semifinal showdown with the reigning Moscow titlist Dementieva on Saturday. Dementieva dismissed fellow Muscovite Nadia Petrova 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (8-6) on Day 5 at Olympic Stadium. Petrova was a finalist in Stuttgart last week.

The two-time major runner-up Dementieva topped American superstar Serena Williams in last year's Moscow finale.

Saturday's other semi will pit Safina against fellow Russian Vera Zvonareva, as Safina drove out her fifth-seeded countrywoman Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-4, 7-5, while a seventh-seeded Zvonareva bested rising Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova 7-5, 6-4. The surging Safina has now won 27 of her last 30 matches.

Three of the four semifinalists here all hail from Moscow. with Jankovic being the lone exception. The Serbian star has won 10 straight matches.

The 2008 Moscow titlist will earn $196,900.

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