Hobart International: Yuan advances to last four

Chinese qualifier Yue Yuan defeated Kazakh qualifier Yulia Putintseva 7-5, 7-6 (4) to advance to the last four of the Hobart International at the Hobart ’s Domain Tennis Centre on Thursday night.

Yuan, ranked No 73, will play American Emma Navarro, the second seed, next.

Earlier in the tournament, the Chinese edged out American Sloane Stephens (6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (5)) and won against No 4 seed Xinyu Wang (7-5, 6-3).

Putintseva, ranked No 64, edged out Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto (0-6, 7-5, 7-6 (4)) and beat No 5 seed Marie Bouzkova (6-4, 1-6, 6-3) in the previous rounds of the Hobart tournament.

Hobart WTA 250, other last eight results (Hobart ’s Domain Tennis Centre, hard, USD 267.082, most recent results first):

• Daria Saville (WC) beat Lin Zhu (3): 3-6, 6-1, 6-4
• Emma Navarro beat Viktoriya Tomova (LL): 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
• Elise Mertens (1) beat Arantxa Rus: 7-5, 6-0