Taiwan’s Chan sisters advanced to the semi-finals at the Internationaux de Strasbourg in France on Wednesday.
Chan Hao-ching and Chan Yung-jan saved six of nine break-point chances and converted five of 12 to clinch a 7-5, 7-5 victory over Canada’s Francoise Abanda and Alicja Rosolska of Poland in 1 hour, 32 minutes.
The Taiwanese third seeds next face either Croatia’s Mirjana Lucic-Baroni and Mandy Minella of Luxembourg or second-seeded Australian duo Ashleigh Barty and Casey Dellacqua in the semi-finals today.
In the singles, Madison Keys of the US beat her eighth-seeded compatriot Alison Riske to make her first quarter-finals since January.
Keys’ serve was constantly under pressure from her doubles partner, but she saved nine of 11 break-point chances to win 6-4, 6-4.
“We were taking bets on when we think we’re going to play each other again,” Keys told the WTA Web site. “I’m thinking Eastbourne. She thinks Birmingham. So we’ll see. Hopefully, it’s not next week. It’s always tough to play your friend and doubles partner. You never really want to see that matchup, but it happens. She definitely played a lot better than last time. She was really going after her shots and moving me around, and playing aggressively. In key moments, my serve definitely helped me out. It was a couple points here and there.”
Keys was due to face Julia Goerges in yesterday’s quarter-finals after the German defeated Lauren Davis of the US 7-5, 6-4.
“She’s been in the top 20 before,” Keys told the WTA Web site. “She has won a couple of titles, so she’s obviously a great player. I’ll figure out a game plan and hopefully execute it well.”
Fourth seed Andrea Petkovic also advanced, winning five straight games from 3-1 down in the first set and five straight from 2-1 down in the second to defeat Taiwanese-American Vania King 6-3, 6-2 to set up a meeting with Monica Puig, who defeated Lucic-Baroni 6-3, 6-1.
“I played better than yesterday, which is good because that shows progress,” Petkovic told the WTA Web site. “The first round is always difficult, but I was much more in rhythm today and it was ideal conditions for tennis.”
In other matches on Wednesday, Spain’s Silvia Soler-Espinosa defeated seventh seed Peng Shuai of China 6-4, 4-6, 6-2; Italy’s Camila Giorgi edged Claire Feuerstein of France 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (7/2); Kazakhstan’s Zarina Diyas beat Ajla Tomljanovic of Croatia 6-4, 7-6 (7/4); and Christina McHale of the US defeated Dellacqua 6-3, 7-5.
NUREMBERG CUP
AP, NUREMBERG, Germany
Germany’s Angelique Kerber advanced to the quarter-finals of the Nuremberg Cup by beating compatriot Anna-Lena Friedsam 6-2, 7-6 (7/0) on Wednesday.
Fourth seed Elina Svitolina of Ukraine defeated Spain’s Beatriz Garcia Vidagany 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 to also reach the last eight.
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