TENNIS/Hopman Cup: Top seeds Serbia shrugged off Jelena Jankovic's ongoing injury yesterday to clinch a Hopman Cup final showdown with the US.

Serbia beat Argentina 2-1 to finish top of Group A while the US, led by Serena Williams, whitewashed hosts Australia 3-0 to win Group B.

World number three Jankovic, who hurt her right leg on Wednesday, could not complete her singles match with Gisela Dulko as Argentina went 1-0 up.

Novak Djokovic, the men's world number three, levelled the contest with a 6-2 6-3 victory over Juan Ignacio Chela before Jankovic returned to help Serbia win the mixed doubles 6-1 3-6 7-6.

Earlier, former world number one Williams put the second-seeded Americans one up on Australia with a 6-2 7-6 win over Alicia Molik before Mardy Fish overcame Peter Luczak 7-6 7-6.

Williams and Fish then outclassed Molik and Luczak 6-2 6-3 in the mixed doubles.

CHENNAI OPEN: Top seeded Spaniard Rafael Nadal brushed aside American qualifier Rajeev Ram 6-2 6-1 to cruise into the Chennai Open quarter-finals yesterday.

The world number two staved off two break points in the fifth game of the second set before ending the mild challenge of his 26-year-old rival.

He will next face his unseeded compatriot Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, who upset the seventh seed, Werner Eschauer, rallying to win 4-6 7-5 7-6.

Croatian teenager Marin Cilic, ranked 71 in the world, knocked out fifth seed Nicolas Mahut of France 6-2 6-4 in a clash between two tall and aggressive players.

Cilic will face Robin Haase of Netherlands, the Dutch number one having defeated Croatia's Lovro Zovko 6-1 7-5.

In the other quarter-finals, Spain's Carlos Moya will play Frenchman Florent Serra and defending champion Xavier Malisse of Belgium taking on Russian number two Mikhail Youzhny, the fourth seed.

ADELAIDE OPEN:Top seed Lleyton Hewitt made light work of beating the Argentinian Jose Acasuso in reaching the quarter-finals of the Adelaide International 6-2 6-2 yesterday.

The former world number one was in dominant form as he wrapped up victory in 62 minutes to set up a meeting in the last eight with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France.

Tsonga, who beat the Australian in their only previous meeting, was too strong for Ernests Gulbis and crushed the Latvian teenager 6-3 6-2.

For the 1998 champion, Hewitt, who hit eight aces on his way to a convincing win over against Acasuso, his victory put him into the quarter-finals for the sixth time in eight appearances.

Third seed Jarkko Nieminen was too strong for the Canadian qualifier Frank Dancevic, advancing with a 6-4 6-1 win.

Nieminen now plays veteran the American Vince Spadea, who beat the German Mischa Zverev 6-3 7-5.

QATAR OPEN:Britain's Andy Murray overcame a sluggish start before sweeping past Sweden's Thomas Johansson to claim a place in the semi-finals of the €1-million Qatar Open yesterday.

Murray, the third seed, who will meet the top seed, Nikolay Davydenko, in the last four today, beat the former Australian Open champion 7-6 (7-4) 6-0.

The 20-year-old Murray told reporters, "He (Johansson) served really well in the opening set.

"I was more aggressive in the second set

. . . After that early break, I had the momentum and I saw his head go down."

In the other semi-final, the defending champion, Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia, will meet Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka.

Fourth seed Ljubicic overcame a spirited challenge from sixth-seeded Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany 6-3 6-7 (4-7) 6-3 in two hours and 16 minutes, while Wawrinka ended the run of the Argentinian Agustin Calleri 6-3 6-0 in just over an hour.

AUSTRALIAN HARDCOURT CHAMPIONSHIPS:The former world number one Amélie Mauresmo suffered a blow to her confidence ahead of the Australian Open when she was beaten in the hardcourt quarter-finals yesterday by Switzerland's Patty Schnyder.

The Frenchwoman, making her way back from a shoulder injury, was upset 6-4 6-4 by Schnyder, who claimed victory in one hour and 16 minutes.

Schnyder will now play Li Na of China, who ended top seed Nicole Vaidisova's hopes of a first title in more than 18 months with a 6-3 6-3 triumph.

The tall Czech was troubled by an ankle injury midway through the first set against Li but did not blame the problem.

Defending champion Dinara Safina was another casualty, the Russian squandering five match points as she was beaten 4-6 6-1 7-6 by fifth seed Shahar Peer of Israel.

Safina contributed further to her own downfall with 13 double faults.

AUCKLAND CLASSIC:Lindsay Davenport continued her smooth progress towards another title as she cruised past Sara Errani of Italy 6-3 6-3 to reach the semi-finals yesterday.

The former world number one, in just her fourth tournament back after a year out in which she had her first child, needed just 57 minutes to see off the world number 69.

Davenport, who has now won 16 of her 17 matches since returning to the WTA Tour in September, will now take on 17-year-old Tamira Paszek of Austria, who upset the Russian second seed Maria Kirilenko 6-1 6-3.

The top three seeds all bit the dust, number one Vera Zvonareva and number three Katarina Srebotnik joining Kirilenko on the sidelines.

Zvonareva, the runner-up in 2006 and 2007, was ousted 6-3 2-6 7-6 by New Zealand wildcard Marina Erakovic.

Erakovic will take on Aravane Rezai of France, who beat Srebotnik 6-1 6-3.