Top 3 seeds in semis; unseeded Czech ousts No. 4 seed on Day 5 in Linz

The Top 3 seeds all won tight two-setters on Friday to advance to the semifinals of the Generali Ladies Linz. The No. 4 seed wasn't able to join the top trio in the final four, however, falling victim to an upset.

Flavia Pennetta, Agnieszka Radwanska and Yanina Wickmayer all recorded tough straight set wins. Second seed Radwanska was the first to win, saving two set points in the second set tie-break and needing four match points of her own to dispatch No. 7 seed Lucie Safarova, 63 76(9).

"It was very tight. Game by game it was 50-50," Radwanska said. "I knew I'd be in trouble if it got to a third set because I'm very tired, so I just tried to focus on each point in the tie-break. You never know what to expect in a tie-break."

Pennetta, the top seed, followed with a 75 62 win over Ioana Raluca Olaru. It has been a long season but the Italian No. 1 looked as fresh as ever, particularly during a strong finish in the second set against the young Romanian.

"I played her in New Haven this year and the match wasn't this tough. She was playing very well today, especially the first set," Pennetta said of Olaru. "It's a very long season and we're all very tired, but I'm hoping to keep playing well, here this week and Moscow next week, and hopefully Doha. Then Fed Cup."

No. 3 seed Wickmayer beat No. 8 seed Sara Errani in the last match of the day, 75 63; earlier in the day No. 4 seed Carla Suárez Navarro wasn't so lucky, holding set point at 5-4 in the first set but losing to Petra Kvitova, 75 64.

Friday, October 16, 2009

Singles - Quarterfinals

(1) Flavia Pennetta (ITA) d. Ioana Raluca Olaru (ROU) 75 62

(2) Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) d. (7) Lucie Safarova (CZE) 63 76(9)

(3/WC) Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) d. (8) Sara Errani (ITA) 75 63

Petra Kvitova (CZE) d. (4) Carla Suárez Navarro (ESP) 75 64