Venus secures semi-final spot

Fresh from her brilliant performance against second seed Maria Sharapova on Wednesday, Williams battled to a 6-3 6-4 win to seal a semi-final against either Nicole Vaidisova or Ana Ivanovic.

An 11am start perhaps explained a sluggish start from Williams, who had not faced a single break point against Sharapova but had to save two in the opening game of the match.

She then took advantage of a poor approach shot from Kuznetsova to send a forehand winner down the line for the only break, serving out comfortably to take the set 6-3 after 30 minutes.

Kuznetsova had won the last two meetings between the pair, coincidentally both in the quarter-finals in Warsaw, but was quickly in trouble in the second set.

The fifth seed saved seven break points in an epic opening game but then surrendered her serve in the fifth game to seemingly put Williams in total control.

However, a lapse in concentration from Williams allowed Kuznetsova to break straight back, only for a third consecutive break of serve to give the 23rd seed another chance to close out the match.

It was beginning to look like no-one actually wanted to win the match as Williams squandered three match points to fall break-point down.

But eventually the 27-year-old held her nerve, much to the delight of her family, including younger sister Serena, watching in the players' box.