Kuznetsova upsets defending champion Jankovic 6-1, 7-6 (3) in Italian Open quarterfinals

Jankovic knocked out of Italian Open by Kuznetsova

ROME — Svetlana Kuznetsova has upset two-time defending champion Jelena Jankovic of Serbia 6-1, 7-6 (3) in the Italian Open quarterfinals.

The eighth-ranked Russian, who won the Porsche GP last week for her first title in almost two years, broke the third-seeded Jankovic four times in Thursday’s match.

She will play either Victoria Azarenka of Belarus or Kaia Kanepi of Estonia in the semifinals.

Kuznetsova, the 2004 US Open champion, was a runner-up in Rome two years ago, when she lost to Jankovic in straight sets.