Hong Kong Open: Top seed Shnaider through to semi-finals
The Russian will face the winner of the match between Canadian Leylah Fernandez, the No 3 seed, and American Bernarda Pera, the No 9 seed, in the last four
Russian Diana Shnaider, the top seed, reached the last four of the Hong Kong Open by defeating Dutchwoman Suzan Lamens 6-0, 6-7 (4), 6-2 at Victoria Park, Causeway Bay on Friday.
After getting blanked in the first set, Lamens led 2-0 in the second before Shnaider fought back to lead 5-3. The Dutchwoman broke back and took the second set to a tiebreak which she won 7-4. In the decider, it was Lamens again who led 2-0 before the Russian won six games in a row to win the match in three sets.
Shnaider, ranked No 14 and a three-time WTA title winner this year, scored her 40th match win of the season. She will face the winner of the match between Canadian Leylah Fernandez, the No 3 seed, and American Bernarda Pera, the No 9 seed, next.
The 20-year-old Russian won against Japanese qualifier Kyoka Okamura (6-3, 6-3) and Australian Priscilla Hon (6-4, 6-1) in the previous rounds of the tournament. She also improves to 9-1 in WTA Tour level quarter-finals.
Earlier in the week, Lamens, who won the Osaka title last month and is now ranked No 91, beat Chinese qualifier Xinyu Gao (6-3, 6-0) and Spaniard Cristina Bucsa, the No 8 seed (5-7, 6-4, 6-3).
Hong Kong WTA 250, other quarter-final matches (Victoria Park, Causeway Bay, hard, USD 267,082):
- Katie Boulter (2) beat Anastasia Zakharova: 6-4, 6-0
- Yue Yuan (6) beat Sofia Kenin: 6-3, 6-3
- Leylah Fernandez vs. Bernarda Pera