Jankovic reaches semis as Wozniacki crumbles

Serbia's Jelena Jankovic crushed a leg-weary Caroline Wozniacki 6-2 6-2 to reach the semi-finals of the WTA Championships yesterday.

The former world number one had spent just 95 minutes on court in her first two matches compared to the nearly six hours of sweat and toil put in by 19-year-old Wozniacki, and it showed in a one-sided contest.

From 2-2 in the first set Wozniacki, who collapsed in agony with cramp near the end of her brutal victory against Vera Zvonareva 24 hours earlier, simply ran out of gas.

Jankovic, who was ranked number one in the world earlier this year, seemed ready to pack her bags and go home after losing to Azarenka in the season-ending tournament's opening match on Tuesday, so disheartened she was with her form.

In her second match of the $4.5 million showpiece event she got a major stroke of luck when Russia's Dinara Safina pulled out after 12 minutes with a back injury.

The cards continued to fall in her favour yesterday as Wozniacki clearly had not recovered from the punishment her body had taken in the previous two days in her three-set victories against Azarenka and Zvonareva.

"I didn't really know what to expect from her today," a sweat-soaked Jankovic said on court.

"I saw what happened to her yesterday but I just concentrated on trying to win the match and get through to the semi-finals.

"I tried to dictate the points and attack because I know how good she is in the long rallies."

Other results: Kuznetsova bt Dementieva 6-3 6-2; Radwanska bt Azarenka 4-6 7-5 4-1 (Azarenka retired).

Today's semi-finals: V. Williams vs Jankovic; S. Williams vs Wozniacki.