Bertens, Cirstea squeeze into virtual Madrid semifinals

MADRID, Spain - Kiki Bertens may not be able to defend her Mutua Madrid Open title next month in the Spanish capital's Caja Mágica - but the World No.7 is making a stellar effort from her sofa in the Netherlands, edging out Belinda Bencic

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Later, the Dutchwoman was joined by Sorana Cirstea

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With Bertens' microphone not working, the defending champion left the in-match commentary to Bencic, who more than made up for it. "This is more frustrating than tennis," exclaimed the Swiss player after a Bertens volley landed for a winner. "It's like real life against you," she said ruefully after watching a pair of aces fly past.

The Bertens serve was indeed on song - but despite Bencic's complaints that she was "hitting too soft", the World No.8 managed to keep pace with her opponent as the first nine games passed without so much as a break point hoving into view. Up 5-4, though, Bertens struck, breaking Bencic to love and sealing victory with a defensive flicked forehand winner.

Afterwards, Bertens admitted that she had felt some pressure to up her skill level. "The thing is, I'd never played on a PlayStation before so I had no idea how it was working," she admitted. "Once I received it I knew I had to practice. I felt also I had to because I have to defend my title, and I heard all the other girls were practising!"

Cirstea and Andreescu would also turn in serve-dominated performances - "That's not typical," commented the Canadian drily - in which they rode waves of associating and dissociating from their avatars. "I'm trying to do what I try to do on the actual court," remarked Cirstea after hammering one of a series of backhand down the line winners. "I practised my net skills - let's see if they're going to come in handy today," Andreescu, who has yet to play the real-life Madrid tournament and for whom this was a debut of sorts, proclaimed in the early stages of the match.

At times, the pair appreciated their computer representatives' skills - "I like these angles, I wish I could use them in real life," said an impressed Cirstea - but there was frustration, too. "How bad is she?" exclaimed the Romanian mere games later. "My girl is lazy today. Too many matches in a row, she's tired." Meanwhile, Andreescu was deploying questionable shot selection. "Why is my player only slicing the return?" she asked. "That's not a good tactic, and I'm not even pressing that button."

Ultimately, though, there were good vibes as the match drew to a tight finish. There would be no breaks of serve, but Andreescu would conjure up consecutive return winners to take a 0-30 lead at 6-5 - only for Cirstea to hold and force the tiebreak with a "sick pickup", as Andreescu described it. There, the World No.6 would take a 3-1 lead, but - retrieving lobs and powering through her backhand - Cirstea reeled off six of the final seven points to book her place in the last four.

Afterwards, the World No.75 admitted: "I was more nervous today than usually on court. Finally I'm in my first Madrid semifinals!"