Defending champion Venus Williams reached the semi-finals of the 4.55 million dollar WTA Championships yesterday without hitting a ball.

The American, who lost two of her three group matches, joined sister Serena in the last four after Svetlana Kuznetsova had defeated Elena Dementieva 6-3, 6-2 in the concluding Maroon Group match.

Under a complicated qualifying system, Venus pipped Dementieva for a last four place despite both players having a win apiece and with the Russian having defeated the American when they met on Tuesday.

In the White Group, Jelena Jankovic, who made the semi-finals in 2008 just before her elevation to the World No 1 spot, also made the last four, comfortably defeating US Open runner-up Caroline Wozniacki 6-2, 6-2.

But Jankovic came into her match far fresher than her teenage opponent. The Serbian, spent just 95 minutes in total on court in two matches after Dinara Safina withdrew through injury after only 12 minutes.

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