Davenport marches on

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Dominant American Lindsay Davenport powered into the semi-finals of the Cincinnati Open with a 6-2 6-2 demolition of Italy's Flavia Pennetta.

The former Wimbledon champion, who was taken to three sets by world number 137 Lilia Osterloh on Thursday, had no such problems against the seventh seed.

She needed a mere 45 minutes to book a semi-final against Marion Bartoli, who beat unseeded American Laura Granville.

Second seed Vera Zvonareva also cruised through, beating Shua Peng 6-2 6-2.

If the semi-finals go according to form, she will not find it so easy against the formidable Davenport, who has now won 16 successive matches and has lost only six of 53 contests this year.

"I was seeing the ball a lot better than last night," Davenport said.

"I was controlling more points than last night and being more aggressive. I was playing the kind of tennis that's usually successful for me."

Her next opponent, Bartoli, is expected to compete despite withdrawing from the doubles with a blister on the palm of her right hand.

Zvonareva next meets Amy Frazier, who finally beat Selima Sfar 6-3 6-1 after rain delayed the start by an hour and 47 minutes.

Rain also intervened again once the quarter-final was in progress, two stoppages resulting in a delay of onr hour and two minutes.

There was a two hour five minute delay in the Bartoli-Granville match on an adjacent court.

Granville slipped and fell when trailing 4-1 in the second set. She was treated on the court but was not seriously hurt.