Top seed Lindsay Davenport topped seventh-seeded Nathalie Dechy with a 7-6 (7/2), 6-0 in straight win to reach the semi-finals of the Indian Wells WTA/ATP Masters Series event.

"I had a comfortable tiebreaker in the first set and I got a lot of confidence from that and it kept growing," Davenport said.

Davenport produced 35 winners and 27 unforced errors while Dechy had 14 winners and 19 unforced errors in the 86-minute match.

"There is just no way I thought I'd be No. 1 for more weeks than there are in a year," Davenport says. "I remember the first time I became No. 1. I was crying. I couldn't believe it. I never even imagined that I could be this successful."

Since losing in the semifinals of Wimbledon, Davenport flirted with retirement last year after losing a tough three-set match to Maria Sharapova in the Wimbledon semifinals. But her game suddenly clicked when she returned to North America for the hardcourt season.

Davenport looks forward to the day when the WTA Tour gets all its marquee players back such as the Williams' sisters and Clijster's Belgian countrywoman Justine Henin-Hardenne.

Davenport now faces the winner of Maria Sharapova and Mary Pierce who square off in Thursday's evening match.

Taking the court later in the day in the men's draw is world number one Roger Federer who faces Germany's Nicolas Kiefer

In a marquee all-Russian quarterfinal match, Dementieva came from behind to beat fifth-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 -- exacting revenge for her loss to Kuznetsova in last year's U.S. Open final.

Dementieva needed five match points to put Kuznetsova away on Day 8 here, as Kuznetsova double-faulted to seal the victory for her compatriot.

Dementieva will next meet Clijsters, who dropped a set for the first time in the tournament before finishing off No. 23 seed Conchita Martinez 6-1, 3-6, 6-2.

The popular Clijsters, who titled here in 2003 and was the runner-up in 2001, improved to 4-1 all-time against the former Wimbledon titlist Martinez. The Belgian star beat the Spaniard in a semifinal at Indian Wells in 2003.

The 96-player field at this 11-day event has dwindled down to six women.

Taking the court later in the day in the men's draw is world number one Roger Federer who faces Germany's Nicolas Kiefer

The winner of this hardcourt event will pocket $332,000.

Source: Agencies