Furious Svetlana Kuznetsova hit out at Australian Open organisers after her 5-7, 7-5, 6-1 quarter-final defeat by Serena Williams today. The Russian was a set up against the American, who was struggling as temperatures hit 110°F, when play was suspended and the Rod Laver Arena roof closed following the implementation of the extreme-heat policy.

When the players returned, Williams, rejuvenated in the cooler conditions, went on to win the remaining two sets.

Kuznetsova, who unsuccessfully served for the match at 5-4 up in the second set, was rocked when told the players would need to leave the court at the end of the first set.

"Yeah I was definitely angry," she said. "Why should I not be? The game was going my way. I'm fine playing with the roof open. I think the guys yesterday had the same weather. Everybody was playing with the roof open. Why did they have to close it today? I didn't get it, that was why I was angry.

"It's two different games. One you play inside, one you play outside. She has a big serve. She was using it well when the roof was closed. I guess it was in her favour very much. Serena was tough. She's playing great and I give her credit. But I don't get this rule."

She added: "I still had my chance, even with roof closed. I was 5-4 up, serving for the match. I just didn't do it."

Williams described playing in the heat as like having an out-of-body experience.

"I felt I was watching someone play in a blue dress and it wasn't me because it was so hot out there," said Williams. "I kept trying to tell myself that it's not hot but it got hotter."

The American second seed, who won here in 2003, 2005 and 2007, admitted having the roof closed helped her.

"It's really encouraging [to reach the semis] because this whole tournament I felt I've been off and I haven't been playing my best," added Williams.

"I was happy to pull off the win because I really wasn't playing my best today. My balls started flying. You know, I was thinking 'Wow, this is just not my best tennis, or even close to it'."

Williams's victory ensured that the semi-finals would not be an all-Russian affair, as Vera Zvonareva and Dinara Safina went through yesterday while Elena Dementieva made the last four today.

Dementieva, who now plays Williams, beat the world No46 Carla Suarez Navarro, of Spain, 6-2, 6-2.

"The key for the match was to have a good start," said the fourth seed. "She's a very solid baseline player and the plan was to go to the net, be aggressive and finish the point as quick as possible.

"It was a very tough, physical game and I played really well in the important points, when it was 4-1 in the first set."

In the men's section, Andy Murray's conqueror, Fernando Verdasco, reached his first Grand Slam semi-final after beating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, of France, 7-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. The 14th seed from Spain showed no ill-effects from the gruelling five-set victory over Murray as he overwhelmed Tsonga in a little under three hours with the roof closed

Tsonga made the final at last year's Australian Open but failed to take his opportunities against Verdasco, converting just two of 13 break points in the match, while his opponent cashed in on each of his four break points.

Verdasco will play the winner of the match between world No1 Rafael Nadal and Gilles Simon.

There was success for Britain in the girls' singles, as Laura Robson and Heather Watson both reached the quarter-finals.

Fifth seed Robson, 15, beat Croatia's Silvia Njiric i 6-4, 6-2, while ninth seed Watson. 16, beat Japan's Miyabi Inoue 7-6 (7-1), 4-6, 6-4.

Londoner Robson will now face Romania's Elena Bogdan, while Guernsey's Watson faces Russian third seed, Ksenia Pervak.