Olympic champion Elena Dementieva advanced to the US Open semifinals on Tuesday, the Russian fifth seed extending the best run of her career by defeating Swiss 15th seed Patty Schnyder 6-2, 6-3.

Dementieva booked her fourth Flushing Meadows semifinal and next will face the winner of a night match between Serbian second seed Jelena Jankovic and Austria's Sybille Bammer to decide a berth in Saturday night's women's final.

Dementieva, who has won 11 matches in a row and 16 of her past 18, would become the new world number one if she can capture her first Grand Slam title.

"I feel great. It was a tough match. I wass going very positive, very aggressive the whole way and I was very happy about that," Dementieva said.

Dementieva was a US Open semi-final loser in 2000 and 2005 but reached the final here in 2004, losing to compatriot Svetlana Kuznetsova after having taken the runner-up spot at Roland Garros earlier that year.

But Dementieva called this year the greatest streak of her career, having recovered her top-five form to reach the French Open quarterfinals, Wimbledon semifinals and capture Olympic gold.

Dementieva, who also won in Dubai this year, improved to 10-7 lifetime against Schynder with her fourth victory in a row over the Swiss veteran, who at 29 was the oldest women in the Flushing Meadows final eight.

"It's never easy against Patty but I was pleased with the way I played. The serve was the key. It was very successful," Dementieva said.

Dementieva connected on 80 percent of her first serves and won 30 of 39 points when doing so compared to just 2 of 10 on second serves.

The Russian captured the first set in just 33 minutes after Schnyder sent a backhand drop volley just side of the line.

Dementieva, 26, and Schnyder traded breaks in the fifth and sixth games of the second set but Dementieva broke back on her fifth chance of the seventh game for a 4-3 edge, then held and broke again to end matters after 76 minutes.

Jankovic, who spent a week last month as the world number one, will have a chance to reclaim the top spot from compatriot Ana Ivanovic with a victory on Tuesday.

Ivanovic was upset in the second round by French qualifier Julie Coin and would be assured of being toppled from the top spot if Jankovic beats Bammer, who is making her first appearance in a Slam quarterfinal.

Bammer is the first mother to advance to the final eight in a Grand Slam singles tournament since 1991 when Peru's Laura Gildemeister reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals. Bammer gave birth to daughter Tina in 2001.