Kuznetsova sets up Safina showdown

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Kuznetsova, the seventh seed, reached her second Roland Garros showpiece thanks to a 6-4 6-7 (5/7) 6-3 victory over the 30th seed on Philippe Chatrier court.

Top seed and title favourite Safina awaits compatriot Kuznetsova on Saturday after she beat 20th seed Dominika Cibulkova 6-3 6-3 in the first semi-final.

Kuznetsova, the 2004 US Open champion and a finalist here in 2006 when she lost to Justine Henin, blew hot and cold and will need to up her game if she is to get the better of in-form Safina.

The 23-year-old broke three times to take the first set and looked like she was going to clinch a comfortable victory when 4-2 up in the second.

Stosur, a winner of 22 doubles titles who was bidding to become the first Australian woman to make the French Open singles final since Wendy Turnbull in 1979, was at that stage making too many unforced errors but she launched a good recovery.

She broke back in the eighth game and then recovered from 5-2 down in the tie-break to reel off five straight points, taking the match into a decider.

After an extended toilet break and a change of top, Kuznetsova came back fighting and needed just one break - in the sixth game - to seal the win.

World number one Safina posted a routine two-set success in an hour and 41 minutes and is now just one more victory away from a first grand-slam title.

The only previous all-Russian final in the Open era at Roland Garros came in 2004 when Anastasia Myskina defeated Elena Dementieva in straight sets.