ESPN 2008 US Open

Nick Bollettieri Discusses The Keys To His Success

Bollettieri has helped 10 players reach the No.1 rankingTags: Tennis

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Nick Bollettieri Discusses The Keys To His Success

NEW YORK -- Second seed Jelena Jankovic cruised into the U.S. Open semifinals with a 6-1, 6-4 win over 29th seed Sybille Bammer on Tuesday.

"I'm happy about winning in two sets," Jankovic said, admitting that she had struggled earlier in the tournament. "I feel that every day I'm better and better. I'm moving a lot better. I'm feeling my shots a lot better."

Playing in her first Grand Slam quarterfinals, Bammer failed to trouble a rock-solid Jankovic who controlled the match from the start.

The 23-year-old Serb was a model of consistency, registering only 14 unforced errors compared with 40 from her Austrian opponent.

"In the beginning of the tournament I was really not feeling that great, because I wasn't able to practice," Jankovic said. "I was injured at the Olympics and throughout most of the year.

"So of course I couldn't expect for myself to be at the top of my game and in top shape," she said.

Jankovic, who reached the No. 1 ranking briefly last month and could displace compatriot Ana Ivanovic at the top, has yet to reach a Grand Slam final, having lost in the semis four times, including Flushing Meadows in 2006.

Jankovic will next meet Olympic champion Elena Dementieva, who beat Patty Schnyder 6-2, 6-3.

"Right now I have two days off, which will help me to recover even more, and then do some more work and hopefully I will be ready and try my best for the semifinal," Jankovic said.

"She's a tough player, she's very solid, she moves great," Jankovic said of Dementieva. "I would love to make another step forward and reach my first final of a Grand Slam."

Because Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic's matches lasted so long, the Jankovic-Bammer match was from Arthur Ashe Stadium to Louis Armstrong Stadium.

Jankovic was happy about the court switch, she said, "because we would have to wait a long time for Federer to finish."

While crowds at Flushing Meadows pressed around the practice courts to watch Serena Williams and Venus Williams warm up for their 17th career meeting Wednesday, Dementieva defeated Schnyder in their 17th contest.

"Every time it's different," said Dementieva, now 10-7 lifetime against her Swiss opponent.

Just moments after being on the receiving end of the 76-minute battering, Schnyder tipped her hat to Dementieva.

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"It's the best she's played against me. I lost to a great champion today," Schnyder said. "I played some really good games but didn't end up winning all of them … there was not much I could have done differently.

"She didn't give me too many chances to step in or even breathe a bit during the rallies. She was just on top of me," Schnyder said.

Dementieva beat Schnyder for the fourth straight time, including three victories this season, in a pairing that started in 1997. Neither has won a Grand Slam, no match for the 15 combined major titles by the Williams sisters.

The Russian star made it to the final of the 2004 U.S. Open, but her often shaky serve deserted her and she got swept by Svetlana Kuznetsova.

Dementieva did much better this time, putting 80 percent of her first tries in play. She was also much steadier, making only 14 unforced errors to Schnyder's 29.

"I think the serve was the key," Dementieva said.

Both Dementieva and Schnyder struggled to hit 110 mph with their serves.

"Today she had an unbelievably high percentage of first serve. It was pretty fast as well," said Schnyder, who at 29 was the oldest woman left in the draw.

"Before I used to have more time against her, she would struggle a bit with her backhands. So she's really improved and is playing with so much confidence and playing really well," Schnyder said.

Schnyder said this could be the year that Dementieva finally lands her first Grand Slam championship.

"Her game's right there. It's just a question of if she can physically and mentally go on for some more days," she said.

Dementieva, however, did not rate her own game as highly.

"I'm very excited to be in the semis but I'm sure I need to improve my game and play a better match if I want to go to the final," said the world No. 6, who will topple Ivanovic from the No. 1 ranking if she wins the Flushing Meadows title.

"I'm not playing at my best … I'm so far away from being perfect," she said.

Information from The Associated Press and Reuters was used in this report.