NEW YORK -- Barbra Fontana and Diane DeNecochea certainly know what their roles are on the sand.

"I'm the workhorse," DeNecochea said. "She's the strategist."

And lately that's been serving them just fine. The seventh-seeded duo upset No. 2 Jenny Johnson Jordan/Annet Davis and then beat No. 6 Tyra Turner/Rachel Wacholder, 23-21, 16-21, 15-13 on Saturday evening to earn a spot in the semifinals Saturday at the AVP Brooklyn Open in Coney Island.

DeNecochea owes at least some of the recent success to a new mindset she has taken on.

"I'm resigned to the fact that I'll be completely exhausted and completely worn down," she said. "I'm not saving any energy."

Fontana, 42, and DeNecochea, 40, are the oldest regular women's duo on the tour and the temperature, which was over 90 degrees, took its toll -- especially in two straight three-game matches. Fontana helped DeNecochea focus throughout each match.

"Fire Di! Fire!" Fontana would scream when she wanted DeNecochea to dig down deep for the next point.

"We're trying to get higher energy," Fontana said. "We've talked about it. [Fire is] one word that she really likes."

Fontana, whose prize total is approaching $1 million, is one of the most experienced and vocal players in the AVP. So vocal, in fact, that tournament director Matt Gage told her after the Johnson Jordan-Davis match that he would want her to be around if his house was on fire.

"Any verbal cues I can give, that's my goal," Fontana said.

That's what DeNecochea likes. When she's attacking, Fontana will scream out directions or some other form of guidance. DeNecochea doesn't always hear nor is she always able to listen, but she wants it nonetheless.

"She sees the court really well," DeNecochea said. "She's more of a visual player."

The elder stateswomen of the tour will play either No. 4 Jennifer Boss/April Ross or No. 3 Nicole Branagh/Elaine Youngs in the semifinals Sunday. They've placed third three times this season, but have not finished second or first.

But until then, the duo could use some rest.

"My legs," DeNecochea said, "are about to fall off."

That feeling probably wasn't far off what Branagh and Youngs and Johnson Jordan and Davis were feeling Saturday. Both were upset in the winner's bracket third round -- Branagh and Youngs by Wacholder/Turner and Johnson Jordan and Davis by DeNecochea/Fontana. Both matches went three games.

Then the two teams played twice more -- the second contender's bracket match against each other.

"I hate to make excuses, but we have the huge picture in mind," Youngs said.

And that vision is a gold medal in the Summer Olympics in Beijing next month.

Youngs and Branagh did end up winning and advancing into Sunday despite spending more time working on many different techniques -- like float serves -- during their matches.

"It's more work," Youngs said of having to play in the contender's bracket, "but mentally we're not all there all the time."