PARIS, Feb 14: The top-ranked women’s tennis player in the world Serena Williams stepped up her bid for a third Paris Open title by reaching the semi-finals with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Emilie Loit on Friday.

The American world No 1, winner here in 1999 and 2003, next plays Olympic champion Elena Dementieva after the Russian saw off another Frenchwoman, Nathalie Dechy, 6-3 6-2.

Amelie Mauresmo provided consolation for the home fans when she crushed Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska, the fourth seed, 6-2, 6-0 in the day’s last match.

Eighth seed Mauresmo next meets fellow former world No 1 Jelena Jankovic after the Serbian second seed knocked out France’s Alize Cornet 5-7, 6-4, 6-4.

Williams opened a 3-0 lead and although Loit broke back, the Frenchwoman surrendered her serve again to lose the set. The second set was a stroll, the Australian Open champion wrapping up victory after 66 minutes.

Jankovic produced another erratic performance but eventually eased past Cornet after a two and a half hour battle.

The Serb broke twice to go 5-2 up but let the advantage slip as Cornet won five games in a row.

Cornet failed to maintain the momentum in the second set and dropped her serve in the third game.

That break was enough for Jankovic to level, especially as the Frenchwoman seemed troubled by a shoulder injury she picked up at last month’s Australian Open.

Following an early exchange of breaks in the third set, Jankovic broke again in the seventh game and called a medical time out to have her blistered feet treated.

However, it did not prevent her wrapping up the win on her second match point when Cornet sent a backhand wide.

The Serb, who made 46 unforced errors, said she was not bothered after struggling in her first three matches at the Coubertin stadium.

Things were easier for Dementieva, who broke twice in each set and was never troubled on serve by Dechy in a match that lasted just over an hour.

Friday’s results (prefix number denotes seeding):

Quarter-finals: 8-Amelie Mauresmo (France) bt 4-Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) 6-2, 6-0; 1-Serena Williams (US) bt Emilie Loit (France) 6-4, 6-1; 3-Elena Dementieva (Russia) bt Nathalie Dechy (France) 6-3, 6-2; 2-Jelena Jankovic (Serbia) bt 5-Alize Cornet (France) 5-7, 6-4, 6-4.

ANOTHER THREE-SETTER FOR NADAL

ROTTERDAM: Men’s world No 1 Rafael Nadal, taken the distance for the third match running, outlasted Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-4, 6-7, 6-4 on Friday to reach the semi-finals of the World Indoor Tournament.

Nadal, who went to three sets against Simone Bolelli and Grigor Dimitrov earlier this week, next meets fifth seed Gael Monfils who beat French compatriot Julien Benneteau 7-6, 6-1.

World No 4 Andy Murray was 7-6, 4-6, 3-0 up on Marc Gicquel when the Frenchman was forced to retire with a groin injury.

The second-seeded Briton now plays unseeded Croatian Mario Ancic, who overcame 2007 champion Mikhail Youzhny of Russia 6-4, 6-2.

Nadal made a good start against seventh seed Tsonga, taking the opening set.

Tsonga, who hit 26 aces in the match, fought back to claim the second set on a tiebreak.

However, the Frenchman could not put pressure on the Spaniard’s serve in the decider and Nadal clinched victory on his first match point.

Saturday’s match will be Ancic’s second semi-final in Rotterdam after Roger Federer prevented him reaching the final in 2005.

Results:

Quarter-finals: 5-Gael Monfils (France) bt Julien Benneteau (France) 7-6 (7-4), 6-1; 1-Rafael Nadal (Spain) bt 7-Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4; 2-Andy Murray (Britain) bt Marc Gicquel (France) 7-6 (7-2), 4-6, 3-0 – Gicquel retired; Mario Ancic (Croatia) bt Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) 6-4, 6-2.

AMERICAN TRIO IN SEMIS

SAN JOSE (California): Top-seed Andy Roddick beat Tommy Haas 7-5, 6-4 to lead a trio of Americans into the semi-finals of the San Jose Open on Friday.

The defending champion fired eight aces en route to the last four, where he was joined by compatriots James Blake and Mardy Fish.

Blake overcame an ankle injury to defeat fellow American Sam Querrey 7-6, 6-3 and set up a showdown with Fish.

Fish eliminated second-seeded Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro 6-3, 6-4.

Querrey blasted 14 aces past Blake in the first set but could not stop his third-seeded opponent from edging in front after taking the tiebreak 11-9.

Late in the match, Blake sprained his ankle but battled through the pain to secure the win.

Results:

Quarter-finals: 4-Radek Stepanek (Czech Republic) bt Todd Widom (US) 5-7, 6-0, 6-0; 1-Andy Roddick (US) bt Tommy Haas (Germany) 7-5, 6-4; 3-James Blake (US) bt 6-Sam Querrey (US) 7-6 (11-9), 6-3; 5-Mardy Fish (US) bt 2-Juan Martin Del Potro (Argentina) 6-3, 6-4.—Reuters