Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova has ended Jelena Jankovic's two-year reign as champion by beating the Serbian 6-1 7-6 in the quarter-finals of the Italian Tennis Open.
The world number one Dinara Safina kept alive hopes of setting up an all-Russian final when she survived another scare to reach the last four with a three set win over Spain's Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez.
Safina will meet American fourth seed Venus Williams or Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska in the last four.
The former US Open champion Kuznetsova, will play the Belarussian sixth seed Victoria Azarenka who beat Estonia's Kaia Kanepi 7-6 6-3.
