between the ages of 18 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 70 80 and 18 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 70 80 A... Hantuchova reaches semis...

The 22-year-old Slovakian's new-found stability was again in evidence as she won a battle of the seed-beaters by 6-4, 6-3 against Flavia Pennetta of Italy to reach her fourth semi-final of the year.

Davenport came through with a display of thunderous final set hitting to win 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 against Anastasia Myskina, the 2004 French Open champion.

Back in the top 20 after an interval of more than 18 months and possibly heading for a reappearance in the top 10, Hantuchova was heartened by a performance suggesting she is a better all-round player than when she hurtled to world number five at the age of 19 nearly three years ago.

However Hantuchova has a similar basis to her game as when she was younger - a forcing first serve and raking ground strokes - but she now uses them to come forward at more timely moments and to vary her tactics more perceptively.

She was also quicker at moving forwards on the few occasions when Pennetta, the conqueror of French Open champion Justine Henin-Hardenne, tried to break up the Hantuchova rhythm with a drop or an unexpected angle.

This contributed to the double fault on break point which gave Hantuchova the first break-through at 4-2 in the first set; and helped induce another Pennetta double fault, again at advantage receiver, at 4-4 in the second set, causing the only break of serve in that set in the penultimate game.

Hantuchova was almost always in control in the rallies which followed her own serve, and the only moments when it briefly seemed she might be rattled came at 30-all when she was consolidating her first break of serve.

She delivered what looked like a well-placed ace down the middle, only for the line judge to call it out. Hantuchova marched indignantly up to the umpire to protest but no amount of dialogue would persuade him to over-rule.

Hantuchova duly reverted to her what has become her stock-in-trade when any sense of distress returns - some enthusiastic hopping on the spot, a lengthy pause, and the visualising of a new blank canvas.

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