The American tennis player Venus Williams survived an inconsistent performance to beat Italian Francesca Schiavone in straight sets and reach the semi-finals of the Zurich Open.
The third seeded American struggled to overcome a tenacious opponent in an untidy match that was riddled with errors from both players, but also featured some well-contested rallies and spectacular shot-making.
Williams will next face second seeded Serb Ana Ivanovic, who beat Czech left-hander Petra Kvitova 6-1, 6-4.
It is the first time since Wimbledon that the Roland Garros champion has won consecutive matches.
Italy's Flavia Pennetta followed up her victory over top seed Jelena Jankovic by beating Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia.
