Defending champion Jennifer Capriati thrashed seventh seed Amelie Mauresmo 6-2 6-2 to stride into the semi-finals of the Australian Open today.
She will clash with dynamic Belgian Kim Clijsters for a place in the final.
Clijsters reached her first Australian Open semi by steamrollering compatriot and sixth seed Justine Henin 6-2 6-3 in a dominant display.
Men’s ninth seed Marat Safin also reached his first semi-finals down under but played less than a set before advancing.
A stomach muscle strain forced his opponent, unseeded South African Wayne Ferreira, to pull out of their quarter-final as Safin led 5-2.
"Today was a present I think," he said, adding he did not want to play on such a hot day with the temperature well above 30 degrees Celsius.
Earlier, Capriati dictated the pace from the start against Mauresmo. The powerful Frenchwoman mixed strong groundstrokes with 34 unforced errors to hand the American the Melbourne Park centre court match in just 65 minutes.
"I've got a lot to be happy for, this is where it all counts, how you do in the grand slams," Capriati said after reaching her fifth consecutive grand slam semifinal.