Top-seeded Anna Chakvetadze of Russia outlasted Amelie Mauresmo of France 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 on Friday and advanced to a semi-final against Marion Bartoli at the Gaz de France Open.
Bartoli won her quarter-final by overpowering fellow Frenchwoman Virginie Razzano 6-1, 7-6 (3).
Earlier on Friday, Agnes Szavay upset second-seeded Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia 7-6 (4), 6-1, to earn a semi-final against No. 4 Elena Dementieva of Russia, who beat Kateryna Bondarenko of Ukraine 7-5, 6-2.
Mauresmo and Chakvetadze traded breaks in the third set until the Russian fought off two break points to hold and take a 5-3 lead, returning a smash with a forehand into Mauresmo's feet.
"When we got new balls in the third set, I won that game because balls were much faster, so it was easier for me to serve," the Russian top seed said.
In the next game, Mauresmo sent a backhand into the net to lose the match.
Mauresmo, who has won the French indoor tournament twice, pressured Chakvetadze early, hitting five aces and breaking her twice in the first set.
"She was receiving well and I didn't feel like some of my first serves went through," Chakvetadze said. "So I was under pressure."
The US Open semi-finalist came back strongly in the second set, raising her level to find the lines, hold her serve, and break Mauresmo at 4-3.
"It was really tight," Mauresmo said. "I was receiving well and she was in trouble on her serve. I lacked a bit of lucidity at 4-3 [in the third set.]"
Bartoli broke Razzano in the tiebreaker to lead 5-2, and again at 6-3 to seal the match on a wide backhand from Razzano.
After trailing 4-2 in the third set, Razzano won but then needed to have her back and legs massaged, recovering to take a 5-4 lead.
"I had some trouble to stay focused on the match," Bartoli said. "I made some unusual mistakes in the second set that helped Virginie get back into the match. I lost a bit of my concentration because I knew she was suffering."
Bartoli had 10 winners and made only three unforced errors in the first set.
Szavay served for the opening set at 6-5, but Hantuchova broke back to force the tiebreaker. Szavay then converted her first set point after Hantuchova netted a service return.
"Szavay was playing really well, especially in the important points of the match," Hantuchova said. "I had a really good start to the match. Then, I didn't hold my serve."
Hantuchova had her right hand bandaged by a trainer at 1-1 in the second set because of a blister. She dropped serve three times in the set and lost after committing two backhand errors.
"It came yesterday," Hantuchova said of her blister. "It got bigger during the match. It was bothering me while I was holding the racket."
The medical time-out did not affect Szavay.
"I didn't lose a game afterward," Szavay said. "So, it was a good break for me too."
Dementieva saved a set point to level at 5-5 and broke in the next game on Bondarenko's backhand error.
"I saved one set point," Dementieva said, "I think that was the most important moment of the game. It really gave me so much confidence, winning the first set."
Dementieva broke Bondarenko twice to lead 3-2 and 5-2 in the second set, and hit a forehand winner on her first match point.
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