THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
ZURICH, Switzerland -- American Venus Williams remained on course for a second Zurich Open title when she beat Francesca Schiavone of Italy 6-3, 6-3 in the quarter-finals Friday.
Williams, the No. 3 seed and 1999 champion, next faces second-seeded Ana Ivanovic of Serbia, who defeated Czech teenager Petra Kvitova 6-1, 6-4.
Flavia Pennetta of Italy and Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain also advanced and will meet in the semifinals Saturday.
Williams improved to 5-0 against Schiavone, who made it to the semifinals last year.
"She is a good competitor," Williams said. "She went for a lot out there today, sometimes maybe a little too much.
"I think I played more consistent than in my first match."
After trading five straight breaks, Williams served at 5-3 and held to love to win the first set.
When she faced three break points at 4-3 up in the second set, Williams reeled off two service winners, a forehand volley at the net and two aces to win the game and close out the match soon after.
Ivanovic was into her first semifinals since winning the French Open in June. Injuries have limited her to only seven wins since then. She has a 1-4 record against Williams, but beat the American in their last match in the Australian Open quarter-finals.
Pennetta followed her upset of top-ranked Jelena Jankovic by beating Slovenia's Katarina Srebotnik 7-5, 6-2.
A two-time winner on tour this year, the Italian broke Srebotnik at 5-5 with a backhand service return, then converted her first set point with an ace.
She then broke Srebotnik to open the second set, again in the seventh game, and sealed the win with a backhand winner.
Medina Garrigues advanced when Victoria Azarenka of Belarus retired with a shoulder injury after they split the first two sets 4-6, 6-3.
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