World number one Amelie Mauresmo beat American Lindsay Davenport for the first time in 12 matches on Friday, taking her place in the semi-finals of the China Open with a 6-4, 6-3 win.
It was a mixed day for China, with Li Na bounced out 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 by second seeded Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova while 60th ranked Peng Shuai reached her fifth career WTA semi-final with a 7-6, 3-6, 6-2 victory over Japan's Ai Sugiyama.
Mauresmo will next take on in-form Serbian Jelena Jankovic, who complained of breathing problems caused by Beijing's pollution but still beat third seeded Russian Nadia Petrova 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 in a tight two-hour contest.
Top seeded Mauresmo capitalised on her superior mobility and 16 unforced errors by Davenport to claim her first win over the American since Sydney in 2000.
"It's very frustrating to be at the wrong end of those kind of runs so it's nice to take control like I did tonight and reverse things," said the 27-year-old Australian Open and Wimbledon champion.
Davenport said she was not too sad to see her winning streak against the Frenchwoman come to an end.
"That's the best she's played against me for a while," said the 30-year-old. "I made a few errors when I was up in the first set and that really changed the match."
FIGHTING SPIRIT
Peng's all-Asian match against Sugiyama lasted more than two and a half hours with the 20-year-old Chinese, roared on by the crowd, clinching the victory when Sugiyama netted a backhand.
"(Sugiyama) has a lot of experience and a great fighting spirit," said Peng. "I told myself before the match that I had to keep calm. I'd especially like to thank the crowd, who were like an invisible power behind me."
Li also received loud support from the spectators at the Beijing Tennis Centre and looked to be on her way to victory when, having won the second set, she took a 3-1 lead in the third set of her quarter-final against Kuznetsova.
But the inconsistency she had shown in losing the first set returned in the next game and the world number five broke back immediately.
A couple of wild Li forehands gave the former US Open champion a second break and despite some stubborn resistance from the big-hitting Chinese, Kuznetsova held on to reach the last four.
Li, who beat Kuznetsova on her way to the quarter-finals at Wimbledon this year, defended herself against charges that she has a suspect temperament.
"I don't have any psychological problems, everybody loses sometimes," said the 24-year-old seventh seed. "I've played Kuznetsova four times, all of which were close games."
Sixth seed Jankovic added world number seven Petrova to a growing list of top 10 players she has beaten recently.
"I have a lot of confidence, I'm beating a lot of top 10 players and I'm just enjoying myself," said the 17th-ranked Jankovic, who reached the semi-finals of the US Open earlier this month.
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