Australia's Samantha Stosur has overpowered Russia's Vera Zvonareva 6-3, 6-3 to reach the semi-finals of the US Open in New York.
Stosur, who survived two epic three-set matches to reach the quarter-finals for the second straight year, extended her winning streak over Zvonareva to eight matches with an impressive display of hitting.
Zvonareva, who made the final last year and was seeded second this time, had no answer to Stosur's powerful serve.
Stosur became the first Australian woman to reach the semi-finals at Flushing Meadows since Wendy Turnbull in 1984 and will play either Italian Flavia Pennetta or unseeded German Angelique Kerber.
"To play the way I did today after the long waiting around that we had to do was really, really pleasing," Stosur said.
"To do it against Vera, who is a quality opponent, is a really good feeling."
"Obviously the last few times I've gone out and played against her I've played very well and I don't know what it is but maybe she brings out the best in me," Stosur added.
"I think I was able to come out here again today and play really well and I guess winning the last seven times always gives you confidence but there's that little bit of pressure there as well."
In the morning's other quarter-final, Serena Williams struggled with her serve in the first set before finding her range to score a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia.
The 29-year-old American, playing just her sixth tournament this year after being sidelined by injuries and health concerns, will play either top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark or 10th seed Andrea Petkovic of Germany in the last four.
Williams said her days of indoor practice may have contributed to her erratic start.
"Maybe that had something to do with it," said Williams, who said she told herself not to get upset with her early errors. "Indoors I think is a little faster."
Stosur, on the other hand, may have benefitted from two days of enforced rest.
After a pair of marathon victories in the third and fourth rounds, she needed just 67 minutes to defeat Zvonareva.
Her third-round victory over Nadia Petrova took a US Open women's record three hours and 16 minutes, and she rebounded to beat Maria Kirilenko on Sunday after dropping a 17-15 second-set tie-breaker to the Russian.
Stosur never faced a break point and fired 25 winners against Zvonareva, who said the Aussie was just too good for her on the day.
"She was able to hold her serve pretty easy, that's why she could take a lot of risks on mine," said Zvonareva, who has yet to return to a grand slam final after runner-up finishes at Wimbledon and Flushing Meadows last year.
"She was over-playing me a little in every game."
The normally-restrained Stosur was even unable to stop a smile coming out after capturing a break at the beginning of the second set.
"When you are hitting winners from wherever you want to on the court and serving well," she said.
"To win 12 straight points against the No.2 player in the world is always a good thing."
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