Second seed Jelena Jankovic edged sixth-seeded Venus Williams 6-7(8) 7-5 6-2, improved to 5-3 lifetime against the American, and set up a Porsche Tennis Grand Prix final against Nadia Petrova.

Russia’s Petrova advanced to the final in Stuttgart with a 6-4 6-4 win over Belarusian Victoria Azarenka, the 19-year-old player who upset fourth seed Elena Dementieva in the quarterfinals.

Jankovic, who was already assured of becoming the new women's world No.1 when the rankings are released on Monday, reached her first final at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix  (last year she was beaten in the semis by Justine Henin) and will face the 2006 Stuttgart champion Nadia Petrova.

Jankovic and Petrova meet for the eighth time in their careers and the Serb leads their series 5-2. Interestingly, two of Jankovic’s victories over Petrova came at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, in 2004 (first round) and 2007 (quarterfinals). (photos: Getty Images)

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Soon-not-to-be world No.1 Serena Williams withdrew from the Kremlin Cup, which starts on Monday in Moscow, due to an ankle injury.

"My left ankle has been bothering me since the US Open and I need to take a break now to get it back to 100 percent," said the nine-time Grand Slam champion, who was a finalist last year in Moscow.

"I have played a lot this year and my body needs to recover. My goal is to try and get the No. 1 ranking back."

Besides Williams, world No.6 Maria Sharapova also won’t take part in the Kremlin Cup, as she will be missing the rest of the season because of her shoulder injury. However, the women's field is the strongest in the 19-year history of the $2.3 million with eight of the world's top 10 players participating. (source: ESPN, photo: Getty Images)

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Semifinalists of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix are set. Victoria Azarenka will play Nadia Petrova, while sixth seed Venus Williams will face second-seeded Jelena Jankovic. Read more »

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Second seed Jelena Jankovic and sixth seed Venus Williams advanced to the quarterfinals of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart.

Williams served 12 aces on her way to a 6-4 6-2 victory over Ukraine’s qualifier Kateryna Bondarenko.

Jelena Jankovic, who will regain the world number one spot from Serena Williams, beat Kateryna’s older sister Alona Bondarenko 6-2 6-0 to win her opening match in Stuttgart.

Other quarterfinalists in Stuttgart:

Third seed Dinara Safina, one of four Russian quarterfinalists at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, beat Bulgaria's Tsvetana Pironkova 6-1 7-6(6) to reach the last eight. She will next play Venus Williams.

Russian seventh seed Vera Zvonareva spoiled Marion Bartoli's 24th birthday beating her 6-2 6-0, while another Russian Nadia Petrova defeated Swiss Patty Schnyder 6-4 6-1. Zvonareva’s next opponent will be Jelena Jankovic, and Petrova’s Li Na of China.

There is one more quarterfinal pair, fourth seed Elena Dementieva will play Belorussian Victoria Azarenka. (photos: Getty Images)

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Justine Henin retired from professional tennis in May, confident she had made the right decision. In July the Belgian said that she wasn’t completely ruling out a comeback, but it was solely because she hates to say never. But practically, the former world No.1 is absolutely against returning to the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour.

No, no competition is over for me. For me, it’s definitely over. When I took my decision I knew it was forever. So I don’t say I will never be back for an exhibition or for another event in the future. But for me (playing) on the Tour? Yeah, it’s in the past and I won’t come back. I made the right decision and I stick to my decision. I will never change my mind about that decision.

Justine officially launched the American branch of her 6th Sense Tennis Academy at Mission Inn Resort and Club just outside of Orlando, Florida on Saturday. (via Tennis Week, photo: Getty Images)

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