Mauresmo downs Kuznetsova in Pilot Pen quarters

Russian top seed Svetlana Kuznetsova tumbled out of the quarter-finals of the last US Open tune-up on Thursday.

France's Amelie Mauresmo, seeded eighth, won a 20-point first-set tiebreaker en route to a 7-6 (11/9), 2-6, 6-3 victory over Kuznetsova and reach the women's semi-finals at the Pilot Pen women's hardcourt tournament.

Kuznetsova got off to a quick start, winning the first three games of the match, but Mauresmo rallied to hand the reigning French Open champion the defeat.

"I gave her chances to come back," Kuznetsova said. "She started to play very well."

After Kuznetsova easily won the second set, Mauresmo took a 4-2 lead in the third.

"I was just going for it, trying to be aggressive," Mauresmo said. "Not too much panicking."

She said the start of the US Open, last Grand Slam of the year, on Monday was inspiring.

"Just before the Open, I start to really play better, feel good physically, try to find a few things in my game," she said.

Mauresmo will face another Russian, Elena Vesnina, who beat Anna Chakvetadze 6-1, 7-5 in an all-Russian affair.

Defending women's champion Caroline Wozniacki, the second seed beat France's Virginie Razzano 6-4, 6-3 to book a semi-final clash with third-seeded Italian Flavia Penetta.

Pennetta beat Slovakian qualifier Magdalena Rybarikova 6-2, 6-2 and said every match was good preparation for the Open.

"I just look to be prepared for the Open," she said. "This is my first important thing for me is to just get there and be prepared for a fight."