PARIS — Ana Ivanovic reached her first Grand Slam semifinal in seven years Tuesday when she defeated Ukraine's Elina Svitolina 6-3, 6-2 at the French Open. The seventh-seeded Serb, who last made the semifinals of a major on her way to her only Grand Slam title in Paris in 2008, will face Czech 13th seed Lucie Safarova for a place in Saturday's final. Safarova beat Garbine Muguruza, the 21st seed from Spain, 7-6 (7-3), 6-3. It will be Ivanovic's fifth last-four appearance at a major following similar runs to the 2007 and 2008 semifinals at Roland Garros, Wimbledon in 2007 and the Australian Open in 2008. “I don't know whether to feel happy or old,” said the 27-year-old, who has now won all her seven meetings against Svitolina, seven years her junior. “It was very tough to play today. The wind was really strong and the ball was bouncing all over the place so I just needed to stay calm and use my feet more.” Ivanovic and Svitolina, who was bidding to become the first Ukrainian woman to reach the semifinals of a Grand Slam, exchanged breaks in the second and third games of the opening set. But the vastly more experienced Serb, watched from the stands by German World Cup-winning boyfriend Bastian Schweinsteiger, broke again for 3-1 to lay the foundation for clinching the first set. Breaks in the first and seventh games of the second helped Ivanovic into a comfortable 5-2 lead and despite double-faulting on her second match point, she sealed victory on her third with a sweeping forehand winner. Ivanovic was rewarded for her positive approach on Court Philippe Chatrier, her 37 winners to just eight for Svitolina telling its own tale. The other quarterfinals take place Wednesday when two-time champion Serena Williams tackles Italy's Sara Errani, the 2012 runner-up, and Swiss 23rd seed Timea Bacsinszky faces unseeded Belgian Alison Van Uytvanck. On Monday, Czech fourth seed Petra Kvitova was sent packing from the French Open when she lost 2-6, 6-0, 6-3 to Bacsinszky. Nadal and Djokovic reluctant cast in blockbuster Novak Djokovic did not want it, Rafa Nadal was dreading it but fans will be transfixed when the world's two best claycourters face off in a seismic French Open quarterfinal Wednesday. It will become the ultimate nightmare for one of the two gladiators — both chasing records at this year's tournament and both desperate to avoid an early flight home. “Of course I don't like playing a quarterfinal against Novak, that's for sure, and I hope that Novak won't like playing me in a quarterfinal,” said Nadal, who is bidding to become the first man to win the same Grand Slam title 10 times. Ever since the draw pitted the two on a last-eight collision course, Nadal stayed silent on the topic. On Monday, Nadal, who beat Djokovic in two of the last three Roland Garros finals, finally declared: “It's the toughest quarterfinal in my career here in Roland Garros, without a doubt. But is not the final. It's a quarterfinal.” A match befitting the final of any Grand Slam stage has come two rounds early due to Nadal's slide down the rankings. Nadal's woes meant he entered Roland Garros ranked seventh, and set him on the path to a horror 29th birthday date with Djokovic — their earliest meeting in a tournament (not involving round robins) for eight years. Nadal leads their series 23-20. — Agencies
