Diamond chasing Mauresmo moves into last four in Antwerp

ANTWERP, Belgium, Feb 16 (Reuters) Top seed Amelie Mauresmo beat Russia's Dinara Safina 6-1 6-3 today to reach the semi-finals of the Diamond Games and move closer to the million-euro winner's prize.

Following a sluggish second round performance yesterday, the French world number three stepped up a gear and completely outclassed the sixth seed to set up a last-four meeting with another Russian, seventh seed Anna Chakvetadze.

More significantly, Mauresmo moved closer to claiming a diamond studded racket worth one million euros (1.31 million dollars) which is awarded for three title wins in five years. She scored back-to-back victories in Antwerp in 2005 and 2006.

Chakvetadze, ranked 12th in the world, was also impressive in her 6-3 6-4 quarter-final victory over compatriot Nadia Petrova, the number three seed.

Second seed and home favourite Kim Clijsters will play Serbia's Ana Ivanovic later on Friday for a place in the last four, while the last quarter-final pits France's Tatiana Golovin against Russia's Elena Likhovtseva.

REUTERS DH BD2105