Hong Kong Open: Top seed Shnaider through to semi-finals

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

You might also like this

Exclusive: Top 20 debutante Diana Shnaider on her best surface, future aspirations, and dreams about tennis

tennis majors

Shnaider defeats Sasnovich to win Hungarian Open title

tennis majors

“Really looking forward to this partnership” – Rybakina hires Ivanisevic as her new coach

tennis majors

WTA Finals draw: Swiatek, Gauff set for round-robin showdown; Sabalenka, Rybakina to fight in same group

tennis majors