Martic, Kontaveit to meet in Palermo semi

The first final four of the WTA’s recently resumed 2020 season is set. Petra Martic and Anett Kontaveit set up a Palermo Ladies Open semi-final clash with hard-fought wins on Friday, while Italy’s Camila Giorgi and France’s Fiona Ferro also moved through.

Top seed Martic battled past qualifier Aliaksandra Sasnovich 7-6 (5) 7-6 (3) in their quarter-final.

The 15th-ranked Croatian converted four of seven break points and saved seven of 11 to advance at the WTA International event, which marks the first tournament back after the coronavirus-enforced break.

Martic will meet fourth-seeded Kontaveit, who beat teenage wildcard Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-1 4-6 6-1.

Unseeded pair Camila Giorgi and Fiona Ferro will meet in the other semi-final.

Giorgi got past seventh seed Dayana Yastremska 4-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 after saving two match points with Yastremska serving at 5-4 in the second set. The Italian hit seven aces and eked out the victory in two hours and 52 minutes, while Ferro brushed past Italian veteran Sara Errani 6-4 6-1.

Ferro, ranked 53, has been in good form this summer. She went 10-0 at a series of French exhibitions and recorded wins over Kristina Mladenovic and Alizé Cornet.