French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero beat Morocco's Hicham Arazi 6-1, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5) yesterday to advance to the Australian Open semifinals and remain in the race for the men's No. 1 ranking.
Second-seeded Kim Clijsters aggravated an ankle injury in her quarterfinal victory over Anastasia Myskina, leaving her questionable for the semifinals.
A semifinalist in all four majors last season but still without a Grand Slam title, Clijsters beat Myskina 6-2, 7-6 (9), recovering after a medical timeout in the second set to move into a semifinal match against Patty Schnyder of Switzerland.
Schnyder, seeded 22nd, advanced to her first Grand Slam semifinal with a 7-5 (2), 6-3 victory over Lisa Raymond.
Clijsters lost the first four games of the second set against Myskina and needed treatment for her left ankle after holding in the fifth.
"I'll have to see how it reacts," Clijsters said. "I'm going to have a week off after this anyway, so I might as well go for it and give myself a shot. But, on the other hand, if I can't walk tomorrow, it's stupid to go out there."
Clijsters won five of the next six games after getting courtside treatment in the second set and had two match points on the sixth-seeded Myskina's serve in the 12th before the Russian held to force a tiebreaker.
She had three more match points in the tiebreaker and saved two set points before the match in 90 minutes when Myskina's backhand shot drifted wide.
Clijsters, who injured her left ankle at the Hopman Cup and was sidelined for two weeks leading into the tournament, said she'd ice her ankle, take painkillers and get the area taped before deciding in the morning if she can play in the semifinal Thursday.
With top-seeded Andy Roddick out of the tournament in a quarterfinal upset to unseeded Marat Safin, former No. 1 Ferrero and Wimbledon champion Roger Federer are vying for the No. 1 spot in men's tennis.
Second-seeded Federer had to win his quarterfinal later Wednesday against David Nalbandian to remain in the race.
Ferrero, who won his first major at Roland Garros last year and lost the US Open final to Roddick, won seven consecutive games and gave up only nine points to lead 1-0 in the second set before the left-handed Arazi recovered and started pounding forehand winners.
Ferrero had to save three set points in the second set and two in the third before forcing tiebreakers in each. He advanced when Arazi dumped a backhand return into the net facing his first match point.
"Today was a good test, and I think I passed, I need some rest today and tomorrow," said Ferrero.
He was tired and strained muscles in his groin bothered him, but Ferrero was still intent on regaining the No. 1 ranking he held for eight weeks after Sept. 8 last season.
"I'm very motivated to get it again," he said. "I played very good today from my forehand. I think I served very well. I'm playing very good, very solid."
Both women's semifinals and one men's semifinal are scheduled for Thursday.
Top-ranked Justine Henin-Hardenne will face Colombia's Fabiola Zuluaga, seeded 32nd, in the first of the women's semifinals, followed by Clijsters against Schnyder.
In the first men's semi, defending champion Andre Agassi was scheduled to play Safin on Thursday. Ferrero will meet the winner of the Federer vs. Nalbandian quarterfinal on Friday.
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