By Julien Pretot

PARIS (Reuters) - Dinara Safina staged another remarkable comeback to reach the semi-finals of the French Open with a 4-6 7-6 6-0 win over fellow Russian Elena Dementieva on Wednesday.

Two days after Marat Safin's younger sister knocked out world number one Maria Sharapova in the fourth round, she knocked out seventh seed Dementieva in almost identical fashion.

In both matches, Safina was a set and 5-2 down before she broke, then saved a match point on her serve at 5-3, broke again, and then went on to take the ensuing tiebreak and finally rolled over her opponent.

"I think I changed my game completely at 5-2 (in the second set)," Safina said in a courtside interview.

"I did not hit the ball anymore, it was like extra ball, extra ball and extra ball. She got confused because it was her who had to hit the winner."

After surviving the two hour 36 minute-battle, the 13th seed will be hoping to keep alive her dreams of adding a third grand slam trophy to the family collection when she meets compatriot and fourth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova in the last four.

Marat triumphed in the 2000 U.S. Open and the 2005 Australian Open.

Safina stepped on to Centre Court with a 3-0 record on red dirt against Dementieva, the last one in the German Open final last month.

Both players started confidently on serve, the first break point coming in the fifth game for Dementieva, with Safina shrugging it off with a backhand winner.

GERANIUM WHACKING

Dementieva also saved two break points in the sixth before stealing her opponent's serve in the ninth, following up to take the opening set after 43 minutes.

Regular as a clockwork, Dementieva sent her rival scampering from one end of the court to the other. Unable to break up her opponent's rhythm, a frustrated Safina's only answer was to attempt some clumsy drop shots.

True to form, Safina reacted by shouting, throwing her racket to the court, slamming the balls on the ground and whacking the Centre Court's geranium display.

As Safina looked to be heading for the exit, a confident Dementieva raced into a 5-2 lead.

Then the tide turned.

Safina took a step back from her baseline, putting more top-spin in her shots, wearing out her opponent's patience to break for 5-3.

After serving a double fault, Safina had a match point against her but just as she did against Sharapova, she saved it with a winner.

After Safina broke again to level the set at 5-5, Dementieva saved three break points in the 11th game, including winning a 29-stroke rally.

Safina also held serve and won the resulting tiebreak 7-5 with a backhand winner dropping on the baseline.

Dementieva totally collapsed after losing the 80-minute second set, often looking at her teary-eyed mother in the stands for encouragement, but it was all too late and she sent a forehand long to give Safina another huge confidence boost.

(Editing by Pritha Sarkar)