SYDNEY, Jan 14: Serena Williams saved three match points before beating Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark 6-7 (5), 6-3, 7-6 (3) on Wednesday to advance to the semi-finals at the Sydney International.

The top-seeded American has now come back from a match point down to win eight times in her career, of which she has gone on to win the tournament six times.

Serena didn’t look the part on Wednesday, though, saving all three match points in the 12th game of the deciding set and needing 2 hours, 40 minutes, to beat the eighth-seeded Wozniacki at Ken Rosewall Arena.

That’s seven match points she’s saved so far in the tournament after Serena had to fend off four against Samantha Stosur of Australia in the first round on Sunday.

Top-seeded Novak Djokovic avoided consecutive opening-match upsets by easily beating Paul-Henri Mathieu of France 6-1, 6-2.

Last week, Djokovic lost in the first round of the Brisbane International, blaming it on difficulties finding his rhythm with a new racket rather than poor form.

On Wednesday, he backed up that claim with a strong display against Mathieu in searing heat at the Olympic Park Tennis Centre. The ambient temperature reached 36 degrees Celsius – conditions that should prepare him for his title defence at the Australian Open beginning on Monday in Melbourne, where, about 800 kilometres to the south, it tends to get just as hot.

While the top-seeded Djokovic, who received a first-round bye, made it through, No 2-seeded Gilles Simon was a second-round loser, beaten 6-4, 6-4 by French compatriot Richard Gasquet.

Another Frenchman, third-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga downed Italy’s Simone Bolelli of Italy 6-4, 6-1, though last year’s Australian Open finalist was troubled by a back complaint that twice required treatment.

Argentina’s David Nalbandian also swept into the quarter-finals with a 6-1, 6-3 win over accomplished French doubles player Michael Llodra.

Jeremy Chardy was the third Frenchman into the last eight, upsetting fifth-seeded Igor Andreev of Russia 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 while seventh-seeded Spaniard Tommy Robredo was beaten 6-2, 6-1 by Mario Ancic.

Australia’s Lleyton Hewitt and Finland’s Jarkko Nieminen also won Wednesday to reach the quarter-finals.

Second-seeded Dinara Safina of Russia joined Serena in the semi-finals with a 6-3, 6-4 win over France’s Alize Cornet. Third-seeded Elena Dementieva of Russia beat No 6 Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 in another quarter-final and will face Serena in the semis.

Results (prefix number denotes seeding):

Men’s:

Second round: 4-David Nalbandian (Argentina) bt Michael Llodra (France) 6-1, 6-3; 3-Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) bt Simone Bolelli (Italy) 6-4, 6-1; 1-Novak Djokovic (Serbia) bt Paul-Henri Mathieu (France) 6-1, 6-2; Mario Ancic (Croatia) bt 7-Tommy Robredo (Spain) 6-2, 6-1; Lleyton Hewitt (Australia) bt Janko Tipsarevic (Serbia) 7-5, 6-4; Jarkko Nieminen (Finland) bt Chris Guccione (Australia) 7-6 (10-8), 6-3; Jeremy Chardy (France) bt 5-Igor Andreev (Russia) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4; Richard Gasquet (France) bt 2-Gilles Simon (France) 6-4, 6-4.

Women’s:

Quarter-finals: Ai Sugiyama (Japan) bt 5-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) walkover; 2-Dinara Safina (Russia) bt Alize Cornet (France) 6-3, 6-4; 3-Elena Dementieva

(Russia) bt 6-Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) 6-2, 5-7, 6-4; 1-Serena Williams (US) bt 8-Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 7-6 (7-3).

TOP SEEDS ADVANCE

AUCKLAND: The top seeds in the Auckland Open men’s tournament had to overcome off-season rust to secure their quarter-final spots after three-set battles on Wednesday.

Top seed Juan Martin Del Potro struggled in the first set against the powerful hitting Latvian Ernests Gulbis before winning 4-6, 6-4, 6-1.

The world number nine from Argentina clicked into rhythm in the second set after breaking Gulbis at 4-4, forcing his fellow 20-year-old to make costly errors.

In the quarter-finals, Del Potro faces Serb Viktor Troicki, who beat Argentine eighth seed Juan Monaco 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.

Second-seeded Spaniard David Ferrer also dropped the first set against Frenchman Marc Gicquel before going on to win 6-7 (3-7), 6-4, 6-4.

Results:

Second round: 5-Philipp Kohlschreiber (Germany) bt Juan Carlos Ferrero (Spain) 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(5); 3-Robin Soderling (Sweden) bt Bobby Reynolds (US) 6-3, 4-6, 6-2; 2-David Ferrer (Spain) bt Marc Gicquel (France) 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-4; Viktor Troicki (Serbia) bt 8-Juan Monaco (Argentina) 3-6, 6-4, 6-2; John Isner (US) bt Robby Ginepri (US) 6-4, 6-7(1), 7-6(5); 1-Juan Martin del Potro (Argentina) bt Ernests Gulbis (Latvia) 4-6, 6-4, 6-1; 4-Nicolas Almagro (Spain) bt Lu Yen-hsun (Taiwan) 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-2; 6-Sam Querrey (US) bt Gilles Muller (Luxembourg) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

FEDERER, WAWRINKA WIN

MELBOURNE: Davis Cup team-mates Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka turned quick one-hour wins at the Kooyong Classic on Wednesday as the Australian Open tune-up began in straight-set style.

Opening day at the eight-man special event went the way of the world number one and his 16th-ranked Olympic gold medal doubles partner.

Wawrinka maintained the misery for 2006 Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis, pounding the out-of-sorts Cypriot 6-2, 6-2.

Federer quickly adjusted to conditions at the former home of the Open until two decades ago, earning an eighth career victory over Carlos Moya 6-2, 6-3.

Results:

First round: Stan Wawrinka (Switzerland) bt Marcos Baghdatis (Cyprus) 6-2, 6-2; Roger Federer (Switzerland) bt Carlos Moya (Spain) 6-2, 6-3; Fernando Verdasco (Spain) bt Marin Cilic (Croatia) 6-2, 7-5; Fernando Gonzalez (Chile) bt Ivan Ljubicic (Croatia) 6-4, 6-3.—Agencies