The Associated Press

TODAY

Women's semifinals • No. 9 Svetlana Kuznetsova, Russia, vs. No. 5 Lindsay Davenport, United States • No. 8 Jennifer Capriati, United States, vs. No. 6 Elena Dementieva, Russia Key stat: Kuznetsova and Dementieva have reached the semifinals in both women's singles and doubles. TV: CBS, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. (live), 12:37-1:07 a.m. (highlights).

NEW YORK - No. 1 is gone. So is No. 2. The French Open champion and the Wimbledon champion left days ago, and the Williams sisters were done soon after that.

Still, the U.S. Open has some headline players set for today's women's semifinal matches, with the No. 1 ranking hanging on the outcome.

No. 5 Lindsay Davenport faces No. 9 Svetlana Kuznetsova and No. 8 Jennifer Capriati plays No. 6 Elena Dementieva with the winners advancing to Saturday night's final.

They are the survivors after defending champion Justine Henin-Hardenne, No. 2 Amelie Mauresmo, No. 3 Serena Williams, French Open champion Anastasia Myskina and Wimbledon winner Maria Sharapova all bowed out.

The matchups offer considerable intrigue, especially for Davenport, seeking her second U.S. Open championship.

Kuznetsova, Dementieva and Capriati have never played for the U.S. Open title. The stakes are highest, however, for Davenport, the 1998 winner, who arrived at the season's final Grand Slam event as the hottest player on the women's tour with four straight hardcourt tournament victories.

She has won 22 consecutive matches, and if she wins this event, she will claim the No. 1 ranking in women's tennis.

Davenport has won the last 16 sets she has played and waited out day-long rains before defeating Shinobu Asagoe 6-1, 6-1 in just 46 minutes in the quarterfinals Wednesday.

This is familiar territory for Davenport, who has reached the semifinals of the Open in seven of her last eight appearances.

Kuznetsova, 19, has never been this far in a Grand Slam event. But she earned her way here defeating Nadia Petrova in the quarters after Petrova sent Henin-Hardenne home. Kuznetsova has never faced Davenport before.

Dementieva reached the final of the French Open before losing to Myskina. Against Mauresmo, she struggled with an aching thigh that was heavily wrapped and dehydration that required IV fluids after the match.

"My leg is getting better, especially with the day off," Dementieva said. "I feel OK with the day to recover."

Capriati, who lost a memorable semifinal to Henin-Hardenne at the Open a year ago, owns three Grand Slam titles and has reached 13 Slam semifinals, most recently in the French Open, where she lost to Myskina. But she hasn't played for a Slam title since the 2002 Australian Open and is without any championships this season.

Capriati has swept all three previous meetings with Dementieva, all on hard courts.