Top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus will meet No. 8 seed Mirra Andreeva of Russia in the semifinals Saturday at the Brisbane International in Australia.
Both players won Friday’s quarterfinal matches in straight sets at the season-opening WTA 500 event. Sabalenka ousted unseeded Czech Marie Bouzkova 6-3, 6-4 in 1 hour and 44 minutes, while Andreeva saved two set points before closing out a 6-4, 7-6 (2) win against Ons Jabeur of Tunisia.
Sabalenka is 2-1 against Andreeva, but all three previous matches were on clay. Andreeva won their most recent meeting in last year’s French Open quarterfinals.
The other semifinal pits Russia’s Polina Kudermetova against Ukraine’s Anhelina Kalinina. Kudermetova defeated Ashlyn Krueger 7-6 (5), 6-3 and Kalinina outlasted Aussie favorite Kimberly Birrell 4-6, 6-1, 7-5.
ASB Classic
No. 7 seed Naomi Osaka of Japan rallied to reach the semifinals in Auckland, New Zealand, beating Hailey Baptiste 6-7 (2), 6-1, 6-2 in just over two hours.
Osaka fired 10 aces and converted six of 12break points. She will face the winner of the all-American quarterfinal between No. 8 seed Katie Volynets and Alycia Parks, which was delayed due to rain.
No. 5 seed Clara Tauson of Denmark was leading No. 1 Madison Keys 6-4, 3-4 when play was interrupted. The winner will face Robin Montgomery, who reached her first tour-level semifinal with a 6-4, 6-4 defeat of fellow American Bernarda Pera.
–Field Level Media
