Samantha Stosur defeats Serena Williams at Roland Garros

Neil Harman Tennis Correspondent Paris & ,}

For the initial time in thirty years, an Australian lady has reached uninterrupted semi-finals at the French Open and there is a reddish heat in the nations cheeks.

Dianne Fromholtz was the brave woman in 1979-80, though she did not conduct to win a set on possibly outing in to the last four. Sam Stosur might finish up apropos a True Blue champion.

One feat would have placed violence Justine Henin, the four-times hold up at Roland Garros, in the shade and that was to better Serena Williams, the universe No 1, whose delight here eight years ago is the familys sole singles value in this clay-court grand-slam tournament. Stosur did that, and from compare point down, usually to raise her clarity of merit.

The Queenslander has turn the inaugural exponent of a opposite kind of womens clay tennis.

Not for the 26-year-old the disciplined function of the baseline, with the clubbing belligerent strokes. Instead, she exacts some-more spin, she serves and volleys, she is pleasingly brave and, given her doubles exposure, is a dab palm at the net.

Put all these things together and you have a poisonous mixture.

Having lost her approach at the consummate of the second set, when she was inside of dual points of feat and motionless to poke the round rather than strike it, Stosur was dynamic that the same would not occur once she had seen off Williamss compare point at 5-4 in the decider.

A integrate of rallies in the thirteenth diversion swung the match, the incredible, pirouetting sell that finished with a sharp-angled forehand leader to reach mangle point was followed by a shot even some-more exquisite, threading a backhand crosscourt past Williamss pessimistic reach.

This time, she did not shiver on offer and her 6-2, 6-7, 8-6 feat reliable a semi-final opposite Serbias Jelena Jankovic today.

Whatever happens, we shall have a new grand-slam hero in the womens game.

Jankovic is one of usually dual players to have reached the No 1 ranking on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour prior to light one of the 4 gems.

It is 6 years given Elena Dementievas dual last collapses, here and in New York, and Italys Francesca Schiavone, her semi-final opponent, is the oldest of the quartet, at 29.