JOIN USSafina clinches Italian Open
Safina clinched a scrappy first set and ran away with the second for her 10th singles title, the first of 2009 after she lost her third final of the year against Kuznetsova at the Stuttgart Grand Prix last Sunday.
The two 23-year-olds, both former finalists here, struggled for rhythm at the start.
After an early trade of breaks, Safina went 4-1 up but then helped former US Open champion Kuznetsova come back to 4-3 with a series of poor shots.
She took serve again immediately after though and held her own with ease for the first time in the match to take the set, wrapping it up with a smash.
Djokovic eases through
World number three Novak Djokovic beat compatriot Viktor Troicki 6-3, 6-2 on Friday to set up a semifinal against Italian Andreas Seppi at the inaugural Serbia Open, adds Reuters from Belgrade
Fourth seed Seppi progressed with a 6-4, 7-5 triumph over Marcos Daniel of Brazil. 'Lucky loser' Lukasz Kubot of Poland will meet Croatia's Ivo Karlovic in the other semi.
Kubot, allowed into the tournament when Belgian Steve Darcis pulled out with a shoulder injury, beat Darcis's compatriot Kristof Vliegen 7-6, 6-3.
Second seed Karlovic cruised into the last four with a 6-3, 6-3 defeat of Italian Flavio Cipolla.
Simon stunned
In Estoril, Spain's Albert Montanes caused an upset by knocking out top seed Gilles Simon 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 in the Estoril Open quarterfinals.
Seventh seed Montanes, who saved a match point when 6-5 down in the third set against the Frenchman, next meets unseeded Chilean Paul Capdeville, who reached his first ATP semifinal with a 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 triumph over Spain's Oscar Hernandez.
Second seed Nikolay Davydenko, the 2003 champion, put out American Mardy Fish 6-4, 6-3. Davydenko's next opponent is fourth-seeded American James Blake, who crushed Frenchman Florent Serra 6-4, 6-1.