Serbian second seed Jelena Jankovic, seeking her first trip to a Grand Slam final, advanced to the US Open semi-finals Tuesday with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Austrian Sybille Bammer.
Jankovic advanced in 90 minutes to a semifinal matchup against Olympic champion Elena Dementieva, the Russian fifth seed seeking her first Grand Slam title.
Jankovic owns a 4-3 career edge over Dementieva, who ousted Swiss 15th seed Patty Schynder 6-2, 6-3.
"It will be a really tough one but I have beaten her before," Jankovic said. "I will really try my best and hopefully I can make my first Grand Slam final."
One of them will have the chance for a breakthrought title and the world No 1 ranking on Saturday night in the year's last major championship.
"Against someone like her, she is going to play everything back," Dementieva said. "You can't play on the baseline. You really have to go on the court and create something. That's what I would like to do."
By reaching her fifth career Slam semifinal, Jankovic ensured that someone will replace Serbia's Ana Ivanovic atop the WTA rankings. Top seed Ivanovic lost to French qualifier Julie Coin in the second round.
Jankovic, who spent one debut week atop the rankings last month, blitzed Bammer to take the first set in 33 minutes, then traded six breaks with the lefthander, the last from the Austrian to deny Jankovic serving for the set.
But Jankovic finished off the match with a break to send Bammer home empty handed in her first Slam quarterfinal.
Bammer was the first mother to advance to the final eight in a Grand Slam singles tournament since 1991 when Peru's Laura Gildemeister reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals. Bammer gave birth to daughter Tina in 2001.
Dementieva took just 76 minutes to book her fourth trip to the Flushing Meadows final four.
"I'm very pleased with the way I was playing," Dementieva said. "I was going very positive, very aggressive the whole way and I was very happy about that. Everything clicked in and it feels good. I'm very confident."
Dementieva, who has won 11 matches in a row and 16 of her past 18, would become the new world number one if she can take her first Grand Slam title. But she said she must still raise her game despite not losing a set at the Open.
"I need to play better in my next match. I have to improve my game if I want to go through to the final," Dementieva said.
"I'm not playing at my best. I really feel there are some very powerful players out there and I need to provide something else. I can improve my serve. I'm so far from being perfect."
Dementieva was a US Open semifinal loser in 2000 and 2005 but reached the final here in 2004, losing to compatriot Svetlana Kuznetsova after having taken the runner-up spot at Roland Garros that year in her only other Slam final.
This year Dementieva has reached the French Open quarterfinals, Wimbledon semifinals and taken Beijing gold and is among four women with a chance to be number one on Monday. But still she hungers to improve.
"I want to attack more. I want to be more aggressive on the court. You can't play defensive if you want to be number one," Dementieva said.
"The most consistent player is Jelena Jankovic for the moment. There is no number one, a real number one. Maybe the competition is too tough. It's wide open for a few players."
Dementieva, who also won in Dubai this year, improved to 10-7 lifetime against Schynder with her fourth victory in a row over the Swiss veteran, who at 29 was the oldest women in the last eight.
"It's never easy against Patty but I was pleased with the way I played," Dementieva said. "The serve was the key. It was very successful."
(AFP via China Daily September 4, 2008)