TASHKENT, Uzbekistan - No.2 seed Timea Babos battled through some cold and rainy conditions to defeat Stefanie Voegele in straight sets and reach the Tashkent Open semifinals.
The highest seed left standing after two rounds of big upsets, Babos needed an hour and three minutes to see off Voegele 6-3, 6-4 - charging into the semifinals without dropping a set.
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“It was a challenge to get warmed up because it was so cold,” Babos told Tashkent Open’s Sunder Iyer.
“I started well, but in the second set Voegele seemed to read me and looked sharp. But I stepped up and served well to end the match in two sets.”
Babos is through to her third semifinal of the year, after taking home the title in Budapest and a run to the final in Quebec City earlier in the season.
Up next, she’ll take on 19-year-old Aryna Sabalenka, who defeated Kateryna Kozlova 7-6(5), 3-6, 6-1, to reach her first ever WTA semifinal.
“It's a great result for me in Tashkent,” the 119-ranked Sabalenka said afterwards. “I didn't expect Kozlova to get the second set so easily, but I played a powerful third set. I really enjoyed the match.
“I've had a mixed season so far; I had a good season on grass, but a bad season in the US tournaments. My aim is to play main draw at Australian Open, and this win helps me stay on my target.”
In the third semifinal, Aleksandra Krunic lead former World No.2 Vera Zvonareva 3-2, but that was all they had time for as the rain that had been threatening overhead finally came down in Tashkent, cancelling play for the day.
