Kuznetsova in Rome on Thursday

Rome: Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova ended Jelena Jankovic’s two-year reign as Italian Open champion when she beat the Serbian 6-1, 7-6 Thursday to go through to the semi-finals.

Former US Open champion Kuznetsova will now be up against the sixth seeded Belarussian Victoria Azarenka, who won a scrappy affair against Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi 7-6, 6-3.

Jankovic, who defeated Kuznetsova in the 2007 final for the first of her two Rome titles, could find no answer to the venom in her seventh seeded opponent’s forehands in the first set. She fared better in the second set, twice pulling back dropped serves and forcing two break-and-set points in the 12th game.

But Kuznetsova, in fine fettle after ending a title drought stretching back to 2007 at last week’s Stuttgart Grand Prix, saved them both before sealing victory in the tie-break with a backhand winner.

“She was hitting the ball very, very well, deep and with a lot of power,” Jankovic said.

“She didn’t allow me to play my game, especially in the first set. She deserved to win. I wanted to win here three times in a row. Unfortunately it didn’t happen. But it’s not the end of world,” added Jankovic, who has slipped to No. 4 in the rankings after ending 2008 top.