Schiavone falls to Stosur

French Open champion and home favourite Francesca Schiavone lost in the quarter-finals of the Italian Open on Friday as Samantha Stosur gained revenge for defeat in last year's Roland Garros final.

Second seed Schiavone had no answer to the Australian's powerful game as she lost 6-2, 6-4 to the disappointment of the fans inside the Foro Italico.

Stosur next faces China's Li Na while world number one Caroline Wozniacki battled past Serbia's Jelena Jankovic 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 to set up a semi-final with Russian Maria Sharapova.

At one set down and 3-3 there were signs that Schiavone was beginning to find some inspiration but there was to be no repeat of her fightback against Daniela Hantuchova in the third round as sixth seed Stosur broke in the ninth game.

"We've had some good matches in the past and today I was able to play very well," Stosur told reporters. "She was perhaps a little more nervous with the crowd behind her and it may have made it more difficult with the expectations flying high."

The Australian said she was looking ahead to playing fourth seed Li, who ousted Hungarian Greta Arn 6-3, 6-1.

"She is having a good week but I played her last year in Stuttgart on clay and won so I'll try and remember that," she said.

Wozniacki reached the semi-finals in Rome for the first time but had to come through a mighty scrap against twice former champion Jankovic.

"Jelena's a great competitor and has had good results here," Dane Wozniacki told reporters. "It's very tough every time I play her and we have long matches with lots of rallies and not too many free points."

The 20-year-old, who is yet to win a grand slam tournament, said she is beginning to find her feet on clay.

"I'm getting more and more comfortable on the clay," she said. "You like to win quickly and comfortably, but as long as you win it doesn't matter if it takes one or four hours."

After a cautious start Wozniacki broke in the fifth game of the first set before going on to clinch the set in solid style.

Jankovic, a finalist in three of the past four years, clawed her way back with some flashing returns to take a 3-0 before breaking serve twice more to level the match.

When the Serbian recovered from 0-40 to take the sixth game and level the decider at 3-3 it seemed Wozniacki might rue the missed opportunity.

However, with some aggressive tennis which she is often accused of lacking she reeled off the last three games.

Sharapova progressed after her opponent Victoria Azarenka retired with an arm injury at 3-0 down in the second set after taking the first set.

"It's a new journey now for me," said former world number one Sharapova. "I'm not 17 anymore and things change. There are different players on the circuit and you change physically. You can't rely on what you had in the past, but you have to look to be better than you were."