Williams to meet Ivanovic in Zurich
Ivanovic will pose a tougher test for Williams
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Saturday, 18, Oct 2008 11:52
Venus Williams will face Ana Ivanovic in the semi-finals of the Zurich Open after both players cruised through their last eight matches.
Williams defeated Francesca Schiavone 6-3 6-3, while second seed Ivanovic beat Petra Kvitova 6-1 6-4.
Ivanovic has struggled this season since winning the French Open and her run to the semi-finals her best since that tournament.
Williams has moved steadily up the rankings in recent months but will have to improve when she faces the Serbian.
The first five games in Williams' match against Schiavone went against serve before the American managed to hold serve to take the set 6-3, one less break than her opponent.
A similar pattern occurred in the second set but Williams saved break points at 4-3 to establish enough of a lead to win.
Ivanovic found things much easier against Kvitova. She broke three times in the first set and once in the second to progress to the semi-finals.
Ivanovic has lost four of her five previous matches to Williams but is still looking forward to the encounter.
She said: "I feel I have nothing to lose. In my first couple of tournaments after the US Open I felt I was short of matches, but now I'm playing more matches I feel my form is coming back."
Williams and Ivanovic are the top seeds left in the competition after world number one Jelena Jankovic was knocked out by Italy's Flavia Pennetta.
Pennetta continued her good form with a 7-5 6-2 win over Slovenian Katarina Srebotnik. She will now face Medina Garrigues in the other semi-final.