Fourth-seed Ivanovic had a more difficult task as she took on American eighth-seed Venus Williams, but came through the match after coming back from 3-0 down in the second set for a 7-6, 6-4 victory, her first win in five meetings against Williams.
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"I'm just extremely happy to be in the semis."
Daniela Hantuchova |
Hantuchova, who won titles at Indian Wells and Linz in Austria last year, used her experience to run the 18-year-old Radwanska around the court, and later said that she had changed her attitude and was no longer too hard on herself for playing poorly.
"I felt like I had a great opportunity to win this match, but I still had to go out there and play my best, which I think I did at times," the 24-year-old told reporters.
"I think I realised that it's okay to make mistakes and it's okay to not always play my best tennis.
"I always wanted to have everything perfect. Yeah, I just realised that, you know, things are not always going to go your way, and sometimes you have to work for them.
"I'm just extremely happy to be in the semis."
Hantuchova will now meet Ivanovic in the semi-finals after the Serb kept her nerve under pressure to beat Williams.
'Thrilled to be through'
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"It's going to be a very hard match and it's a semi-final but it is a great chance for both of us."
Ana Ivanovic |
"It's amazing, it was an amazing match and I'm just so thrilled to be through," Ivanovic said in a courtside interview.
"We had a lot of really long points and [Venus] is an amazing competitor. She was also playing really well I thought, as well."
The 20-year-old said her improved fitness regime had helped her become a more consistent competitor.
"I always struggled with my fitness," she said.
"In the last 18 months I have come so far, and become so much fitter, which also helps stop injuries. I am just so happy I could fight through."
Ivanovic, who reached her first grand slam final at the French Open last year, said she expected a hard match against Hantuchova.
"She's definitely on a roll, she's playing some great tennis here.
"It's going to be a very hard match and it's a semi-final but it is a great chance for both of us."
The winner of the semi between Ivanovic and Hantuchova will face either fifth seed Maria Sharapova or third seed Jelena Jankovic in the final.