NEW YORK, 6 September 2007 — Fourth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova and sixth seed Anna Chakvetadze advanced to an all-Russian women’s semifinal at the US Open with straight-set triumphs yesterday.

Kuznetsova, whose only Grand Slam title came at the 2004 US Open, defeated Hungarian teen Agnes Szavay 6-1, 6-4 in 67 minutes while Chakvetadze reached her first Slam semifinal by beating Israeli 18th seed Shahar Peer 6-4, 6-1.

“She’s a favorite in this match. I have nothing to lose. It’s easier to play with no pressure,” Chakvetadze said. “I’m playing well but I still feel I’m not playing my best. I’m getting better each day. Hopefully I’ll be better tomorrow.”

Kuznetsova, who won both prior meetings with Chakvetadze in a 2006 Warsaw semifinal and the 2006 Eastbourne round of 16, said she is playing well enough to match her title run form three years ago.

“Definitely I believe in myself,” Kuznetsova said. The last women’s quarterfinal later sends reigning Wimbledon champion Venus Williams against Serbian third seed Jelena Jankovic with the winner to meet world No. 1 Justine Henin in tomorrow’s other semifinal.

Second seed Rafael Nadal wilted under the strain of a fearless forehand by David Ferrer and top seed Justine Henin maintained her recent Grand Slam mastery over Serena Williams in a wild Tuesday at the US Open.

Ferrer blasted 48 winners to shock his Spanish compatriot 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 6-2 in a three-hour, 28-minute fourth-round match on Arthur Ashe Stadium that ended at 1:50 a.m. on Wednesday.

Henin, who knocked out Serena at both Wimbledon and the French Open, outslugged her opponent 7-6, 6-1 to reach to the semifinals against Jelena Jankovic. “He’s (Ferrer’s) having an unbelievable season,” Nadal told reporters. The 25-year-old Ferrer, who had lost his last four matches against Nadal, clinched victory when the world No. 2 hit a backhand lob beyond the baseline.

Nadal, a three-times French Open winner, who has been hampered by a left knee injury, had no answer for the heavy forehand from Ferrer. “I played very, very well,” the 15th-ranked Ferrer said. “Maybe I was lucky because Rafa was with physical problems. But I did my game. I played point-to-point.

“I’m very happy because I am playing very well in this tournament and all year.”

Elsewhere on the men’s side, third seed Novak Djokovic advanced to the Open quarters for the first time with a 7-5 7-6 6-7 6-1 triumph over Argentine Juan Monaco.

Other fourth-round winners included former world number one Carlos Moya of Spain and Argentine Juan Ignacio Chela, who will face Ferrer in the quarterfinals.

Moya, 31, survived a courageous challenge from 19-year-old Latvian Ernests Gulbis to win 7-5, 6-2, 6-7, 6-4.