Anastasia Potapova of Russia cruised past third seed Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic 6-1, 6-3 Thursday to advance to the semifinals of the Hamburg European Open in Germany.
Potapova will have another tall task in the next round in the form of No. 1 seed Anett Kontaveit of Estonia. Kontaveit led her quarterfinal match 6-0, 2-0 when eighth-seeded opponent Andrea Petkovic of Germany retired with an undisclosed injury.
In the other half of the bracket, No. 7 seed Maryna Zanevska of Belgium will square off with unseeded American Bernarda Pera in the other semifinal. Zanevska took down fourth seed Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus 6-4, 7-5 Thursday by serving six aces and going 7-for-7 in break points converted.
Pera defeated the Czech Republic’s Katerina Siniakova 6-3, 6-1.
Palermo Ladies Open
Diane Parry of France upset No. 2 seed Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan 6-3, 6-4 to reach the quarterfinals in Italy.
Parry’s compatriot, fifth seed Caroline Garcia, recovered from a bagel in the first set to defeat Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto 0-6, 6-3, 6-4. Garcia served five aces and saved six of nine break points.
Come the quarterfinals, Garcia will face an Italian opponent for the second straight round. Lucia Bronzetti defeated Russia’s Elina Avanesyan 6-1, 6-3, and is one of two Italians left standing in the tournament.
No. 8 seed Nuria Parrizas Diaz eliminated Julia Grabher of Austria 6-2, 6-4.
–Field Level Media