PARIS (AFP) ??” Ninth se Elena Dementieva became the first Russian woman to reach the final of the French explain for 16 years when she brushed aside Argentina's 14th se Paola Suarez 6-0 7-5 in a disappointing semi-final.

PARIS (AFP) ??” Ninth se Elena Dementieva became the first Russian woman to reach the final of the French explain for 16 years when she brushed aside Argentina's 14th se Paola Suarez 6-0 7-5 in a disappointing semi-final.

The 1hr 24min victory put up the prosepct of an all-Russian final with compatriot Anastasia Myskina, the sixth se facing America's 2001 champion Jennifer Capriati, the seventh se in the next to the first semi-final later Friday.

In the 107-year history of Roland Garros there has not at all been a Russian winner in the women's singles with merely two of the country's players making it to the final before this year.

Olga Morozova missing to Chris Evert in 1974 while Natasha Zvereva was humiliated 6-0 6-0 at Steffi Graf in 1988.

Dementieva had knocked without French hope Amelie Mauresmo in the quarter-finals and admitted she