Fourth-seeded Angelique Kerber of Germany reached the semifinals of the Toray Pan Pacific Open when fifth-seeded Madison Keys withdrew in the decisive set on Friday at Osaka, Japan.
FILE PHOTO: Tennis – Wimbledon – All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain – July 10, 2018 Germany’s Angelique Kerber reacts during her quarter final match against Russia’s Daria Kasatkina. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Kerber led 6-4, 4-6, 2-1 when Keys couldn’t continue due to an apparent foot injury. Kerber had 18 winners and 13 unforced errors, while Keys hit 39 winners and committed 33 unforced errors.
The match was the only one completed due to weather conditions as Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova led Japan’s Misaki Doi 2-0 in the first set when play was halted. That match is scheduled to be completed on Saturday, when postponed quarterfinal matches between top-seeded Naomi Osaka of Japan and Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva and ninth-seeded Belgian Elise Mertens and Italy’s Camila Giorgi will also be made up.
Guangzhou International Women’s Open
Third-seeded Sofia Kenin reached her fourth final of the season by recording a 7-6 (2), 4-6, 6-1 victory over Russia’s Anna Blinkova.
Kenin has lost both previous meetings with Stosur, who is looking to win her 10th career title. Stosur knocked off Switzerland’s Viktorija Golubic 2-6, 7-6 (4), 6-1 in her semifinal match.
Stosur, ranked No. 129 in the world, is in a final for the first time since winning in Strasbourg in 2017. Kenin is looking for her third title of the year, winning at Hobart and Mallorca.
Korea Open
Fourth-seeded Magda Linette of Poland cruised into the semifinals with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium at Seoul.
Linnette will next face second-seeded Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova, who recorded a 6-7 (0), 6-4, 6-4 victory over American Kristie Ahn.
Third-seeded Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic will face No. 8 Yafan Wang of China in the other semifinals. Muchova defeated Australia’s Priscilla Hon 6-3, 6-3, while Wang beat Spain’s Paula Badosa 6-1, 6-3.
—Field Level Media