Third seed Mikhail Youzhny kept alive Russian hopes of a home champion at the Kremlin Cup in Moscow with a victory over Sergiy Stakhovsky in the quarter-finals.

The world number 30 was too good for the Ukrainian qualifier and prevailed in straight sets 6-3 6-3.

Serbian Janko Tipsarevic, seeded sixth in the Russian capital, was too strong for American Robby Ginepri and came through in straight sets 6-3 6-3.

He will now take on Ukrainian qualifier Ilya Marchenko, who beat Evgeny Korolev 0-6 6-2 6-3.

Youzhny will take on Kazakhstan's Mikhail Kukushkin as he overcame Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay 4-6 6-1 6-4.

In the women's event, second seed Jelena Jankovic was dumped out in the quarter-finals by unseeded Russian Alisa Kleybanova 6-4 6-3 to set up a last-four clash with Olga Govortsova of Belarus, who beat Russian Vera Dushevina 6-3 6-0.

Eighth seed Francesca Schiavone of Italy saw off another home player, Maria Kirilenko, 6-3 6-2, with Ukraine's Alona Bondarenko completing the semi-final line-up by beating Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria 6-3 6-3. Qualifier Pironkova caused a stir yesterday by knocking out seventh seed Vera Zvonareva.