Melbourne: US Open champion Serena Williams remains on track to back-to-back majors, advancing to the Australian Open semifinals with a comeback win over Svetlana Kuznetsova.
Russia's Kuznetsova, the 2004 US Open champion, served for the match in the second set but Williams rallied for a 5-7, 7-5, 6-1 win Wednesday at Rod Laver Arena.
The stadium roof was closed after the first set when temperatures rose above 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) and the tournament's Extreme Heat Policy was put into effect, suspending play on outside courts.
The 27-year-old Williams has nine Grand Slam singles title and won the Australian Open in 2003, 2005 and 2007.
Serena Williams was having what she called an 'out-of-body experience' on Wednesday in brutal heat at the Australian Open.
Closing the Rod Laver Arena roof and cranking up the air conditioning helped the defending champion pull herself together and advance to the semifinals — but left her opponent steaming.
"I felt I was watching someone play in a blue dress, and it wasn't me, because it was so hot out there," said the second-ranked American, who beat Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova 5-7, 7-5, 6-1.
"And I kept trying to tell myself that it's not hot. But it got hotter."
Williams, seeking her fourth Australian title and 10th Grand Slam championship overall, next faces Olympic gold medalist Elena Dementieva, who had to play her entire match with the roof open.
The fourth-seeded Dementieva ousted Carla Suarez Navarro 6-2, 6-2 to run her winning streak to 15 matches after she won two tuneup tournaments.
If Williams wins Thursday — the heat wave is forecast to continue and Dementieva has won their last three meetings, including the Olympic quarterfinals — she would meet yet another Russian in the final.
Third-seeded Dinara Safina is facing fellow Russian Vera Zvonareva in the other semifinal.
"Me against the Russians, I guess," Williams said.
On the men's side, 14th-seeded Fernando Verdasco — the lowest-ranked player to reach the quarterfinals — beat No 5 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, last year's runner-up, 7-6 (2), 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Top-ranked Rafael Nadal was hoping to make it an all-Spanish semifinal when he faced No. 6 Gilles Simon of France in the night match.
With temperatures soaring to 109 degrees on a cloudless day — Williams had her rackets restrung during her match because they lost their tension — the retractable roof was closed after Kuznestova won the first set.
The heat was beginning to take a toll on Williams, and the eighth-seeded Kuznetsova was angry at the decision. She felt that the break gave Williams time to recover and that playing indoors benefited the American's powerful serve.
"Why should I not be?" Kuznetsova said. "Game going my way. I was very comfortable playing outside. It's two different games. One you play inside; one you play outside.
Serena was tough. She's playing great. I give her credit. But I don't get this rule."
Neither did other players.
Even though Dementieva won, she felt the roof should have been closed before her match started.
Tournament officials called a news conference to explain the decision-making process, bringing in the official doctor and meterologist to talk about the 'Wet Bulb Globe measure' that determines when it's too hot.
"We do this to protect the players and to protect their ability to perform optimally," said tournament director Craig Tiley.
The roof was closed for the first time during a match under the tournament's evolving heat policy, which was changed after a heat wave two years ago. At that time, matches which started under open skies had to finish that way.
Down a set and a break and with Kuznetsova serving for the match in the second set, Williams broke to get even at 5-5 when Kuznetsova missed an open-court volley that turned the match.
Williams held and again broke Kuznetsova's serve, forcing the deciding set. The American broke to lead 3-1 and, after saving two break points with a pair of forehand winners, the result was never in doubt.
Once again, Williams won despite playing far from her best — she had 18 unforced errors to four winners in the first set.
"My balls started flying," she said. "They were pretty much hitting the people in the crowd. Definitely I was mortified at some of the shots I hit."
The break helped her pull herself together.
"With the roof closed, it was definitely helpful," she said.
Dementieva made a fast start against 20-year-old Suarez Navarro of Spain, who upset Venus Williams in the second round, winning 16 of the first 18 points for a 4-0 lead.
She raced through the first five games in 22 minutes and, after eventually holding serve in a sixth game that went to deuce 11 times and lasted 17 minutes, finished off in 1 hour, 35 minutes.
"You can work so hard trying to get ready for the weather conditions, but when you have to face 40 (104 Fahrenheit) or 41 (106), there is no way you can get used to it," Dementieva said.
"The best way is to play as quick as possible and just get away from the court. There is no way to adjust with the heat here."
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