Jelena Ostapenko decided to put Charleston on her schedule this year for the first time. It likely won't be the last time. The 19-year-old Latvian upset Caroline Wozniacki 6-2, 6-4 Friday night to reach the semifinals at the Volvo Car Open. That's heady stuff against a player that had reached the quarterfinals or better at 11 of her last 14 events. If Wozniacki had made the semifinals, she was projected to return to the WTA top 10 when the new rankings are released Monday. "Yeah, it feels amazing," Ostapenko said. "I just knew before the match that I have to stay aggressive all the time and still be consistent. And I tried not to step back, just to be like - play in the court all the shots. And I think that's helped me today." Ostapenko converted 22 of 30 first serves (73 percent) and saved four of five break points against Wozniacki, who was the highest remaining seed in the tournament. Wozniacki had won two matches on a windy Thursday after her second-round match was rained out Wednesday night, forcing her into double duty, and was the lone former champ left in the draw.
"I really tried my best out there," the Danish star said. In other quarterfinal action on the green clay at Daniel Island, Mirjana Lucic-Baroni of Croatia beat hometown favorite Shelby Rogers in three sets. The 35-year-old Lucic-Baroni, the oldest player left in the draw, rallied after a tough first set to win 6-7(7), 6-1, 6-1 and spoil the day for all those fans. In the other matches, Daria Kasatkina of Russia topped Irina-Camelia Begu of Romania 6-4, 6-1, and Laura Siegemund of Germany beat Latvia's Anastasija Sevastova 6-2, 6-4. In Saturday's semifinals, Siegemund will play Kasatkina, and Lucic-Baroni goes against Ostapenko. Kerber downs Watson World No. 1 Angelique Kerber defeated defending champion Heather Watson 6-4, 6-4 Friday to reach the semifinals of the WTA tournament in Monterrey, Mexico. Germany's Kerber saved all eight break points she faced in a gritty display against Britain's Watson, setting up a semi-final clash with fourth-seeded Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro, who was a 6-1, 6-1 winner over French seventh seed Alize Cornet. Three-time champion Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, the second seed, battled through three sets to defeat fifth-seeded Hungarian Timea Babos 6-2, 3-6, 7-5. "I started to feel the tiredness a little bit — it's been a long and tough trip for me — but I just stayed calm anyhow," said Pavlyuchenkova, who lifted the trophy in Monterrey in 2010, 2011 and 2013. Pavlyuchenkova, who next faces third seeded Caroline Garcia of France. Garcia defeated American Julia Boserup 6-3, 6-2. — Agencies
