ANTWERP - World number one Kim Clijsters defeated Russia's Dinara Safina 7-6 6-4 today to reach the semi-finals of the Proximus Diamond Games.
Clijsters, the US Open champion, was given a fright when her 20th-ranked opponent broke serve in the ninth game but hit back immediately before racing through the tiebreak 7-1.
With the home crowd behind her, the 22-year-old Belgian broke Safina's serve in the seventh game of the second set to line up her sixth win in a row over Safina.
Clijsters now plays Greece's Elena Daniilidou or fifth seed Elena Dementieva of Russia.
Earlier, holder Amelie Mauresmo recorded her 13th successive victory by crushing Patty Schnyder 6-2 6-4.
The Australian Open champion booked a meeting with Russia's Nadia Petrova with a measured performance against sixth-seeded Swiss Schnyder.
"It was clear she was struggling for breath between points at times," second seed Mauresmo told reporters.
"But you have to win every game no matter what the circumstances and that's what I did." The Frenchwoman is unbeaten since her second-round defeat by Ana Ivanovic in Sydney in January, collecting her first career grand slam in Melbourne and the Paris Open title on the way.
Petrova, seeded fourth, reached the semi-finals after eclipsing Ukrainian qualifier Olga Savchuk 6-3 6-3.
- REUTERS
Tennis: Clijsters, Mauresmo through to Antwerp semis
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