BIRMINGHAM: Daniela Hantuchova, the former world number five from Slovakia, also made the semi-finals thanks to three tenacious comebacks against Francesca Schiavone, the former French Open champion from Italy.

The score was 6-7 (8/10), 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) and lasted three hours and 23 minutes, though it might have taken half that time had Schiavone been able to capitalise on her lead of a set and 3-0.

It was then that Hantuchova took an injury time out for treatment to a troublesome ankle, after which she continued with a different attitude, forcing her into match-changing tactics which were much better suited to the surface.

Hantuchova similarly recovered again from within a point of a 1-4 deficit in the final set, and then from 0-3 down in the deciding tie-breaker.

In the semi-final, she will face either former champion Sabine Lisicki, who has reached a semi-final and a quarter-final at Wimbledon, or Alison Riske, the American who has reached three WTA Tour quarter-finals in her career -- all of them in Birmingham.

The pair were 2-2 in the final set before fading light halted play for the day. (AFP)