Women’s semifinals highlight action on Thursday

TODAY’S WOMEN’S SEMIFINALS

(world rankings in parentheses)

Dinara Safina (1), Russia, vs.

Dominika Cibulkova (19), Slovakia

The freshly regal Safina runs across the first-ever Grand Slam semifinalist from Slovakia, a monumental achievement given that Slovakia, 16, is 3 1/2 years younger than Cibulkova, 20. If you want to sneer at that, please remember that the United States didn’t have any Grand Slam semifinalists in 1792.

Svetlana Kuznetsova (7), Russia, vs.

Samantha Stosur (32), Australia

Kuznetsova gamely wriggled through Serena Williams to find a big server and doubles player who pronounced herself “just over the moon” at reaching her first Grand Slam semifinal. And that’s just another reason it’s important to have Australian players thrive, so that we get to hear glorious phrases like “over the moon.”

A FRENCH MORSEL

Bonjour from Paris, the beautifully lit capital of Switzerland and the home of Rogermania, Roger fever, Roger ruckus. Everybody wants Roger Federer to win, even his quarterfinal opponent Gael Monfils, who said so in their post-match handshake. According to Roger, people stop Roger on the streets, scream toward Roger from their scooters, get out at red lights asking Roger for autographs. “You know, I feel like they’ve almost adopted me,” said Roger as Rogerworld rolled toward Friday.

ALSO WEDNESDAY IN PARIS

Federer had an easier time with Monfils than he did last year, playing “my most consistent match of the tournament so far,” negating a set point and winning, 7-6 (6), 6-2, 6-4. . . . Samantha Stosur, a 25-year-old Australian doubles whiz who had to interrupt her career because of Lyme disease, defeated Sorana Cirstea of Romania, 6-1, 6-3, to reach her first Grand Slam semifinal only two years after “just trying to get healthy and leave my apartment, basically,” she said. . . . After quarterfinal berths in the 2008 U.S. Open and the 2009 Australian, Juan Martin Del Potro went one further, besting Tommy Robredo, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2, to reach his first Grand Slam semifinal at age 20, having zoomed in 17 months from No. 44 to No. 5.

THE ENDANGERED AMERICAN MALES

The number in the men’s singles draw remained zero, but the number in the doubles remained a magical two, awaiting the semifinal between the mighty Bryan twins from Camarillo -- Bob and Mike -- and Wesley Moodie of South Africa and Dick Norman of Belgium. Sure, that’s a lot of people on the court at one time, but given the Americans’ problem with movement on clay, it’s the most viable solution. Imagine how good we’d be at triples.

STAT OF THE DAY

20: The number of consecutive Grand Slam semifinal berths for Federer.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Federer, on that number, 20: “Twenty semifinals is incredible, but 20 semifinals in a row? It’s even more incredible, even to me.”

-- Chuck Culpepper