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Italian first for Schiavone

Paris - Francesca Schiavone became the first Italian woman to reach a Grand Slam semi-final in the Open era on Tuesday, shrugging off a 10-year age gap to beat third seed Caroline Wozniacki at the French Open.

In a battle between the oldest and youngest players left in the draw, the 29-year-old Schiavone defeated the highly-rated Danish teenager 6-2, 6-3 to reach her first Grand Slam semi-final in her 39th successive major.

She will now face Elena Dementieva, the 2004 runner-up who defeated fellow Russian Nadia Petrova in three sets, for a place in Saturday's final.

"I tried to play long and short and be aggressive. I needed to serve well and put her under pressure. I wasn't going to win by being defensive," said Schiavone, who fell to her knees at the end of the match to kiss the red clay.

"I have been doing this job all of my life. It's a very special emotion to reach the semi-finals especially when you work hard every morning, every afternoon," added the Italian, who will enter the world's top 10 next week.

Wozniacki had defeated Schiavone's Fed Cup-winning teammate Flavia Pennetta in three sets in the previous round, but admitted there was a gulf in styles between the two Italians.

"She played well today just as she has done throughout the whole tournament. It was different to playing Pennetta. Schiavone puts a lot of spin on the ball, she doesn't play typical women's tennis," said the teenager who was a US Open finalist in 2009.

Schiavone had already defeated her blonde opponent in straight sets in the pair's only other previous meeting in Zurich two years ago, and was the dominant force again on Tuesday.

Her all-court game, variety of shot as well as being one of the few women to still employ a one-handed backhand, left Wozniacki looking decidedly one-dimensional despite her lofty status as world number three.

Schiavone settled quickly into the match despite the murky and damp Court Philippe Chatrier conditions, breaking in the fourth and eighth games and securing the set when she drew Wozniacki to the net with a sweet drop shot.

As the Dane prodded the ball back, the wily Italian then unleashed a smooth backhand which Wozniacki, with her groin tightly-strapped, could only watch as the ball darted past her.

The Italian's 16 winners to the teenager's four were reward for her attacking philosophy.

Two breaks each followed in the second set before Schiavone, backed by vocal Italian support amongst the smattering of spectators dotted around the stands, regained the advantage with another break to lead 5-3.

She claimed a place in the last four when another pinpoint forehand eluded the flat-footed Dane.

Schiavone will face Dementieva in Thursday's semi-finals

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