AUCKLAND, New Zealand, Jan. 3 (UPI) -- Top seed Anna Pistolesi of Israel retired from the semifinals of the ASB Classic with heat illness Friday, but No. 2 Eleni Daniilidou of Greece reached the final of the hardcourt tourney.
Pistolesi, the defending champion, was trailing Yoon Jeong Cho of Korea, 7-6 (7-2), 2-2, before she was forced to walk off the court. Daniilidou cruised past Switzerland's Emmanuelle Gagliardi, 6-4, 6-3, in the other semifinal.
After winning three tight matches this week and playing a first set Friday that went for well over an hour, the Israeli called for the trainer while serving at 2-1 in the second set. Despite the efforts to lower her core temperature, Pistolesi lost her serve and stopped the match.
"It's disappointing to lose a match, but it happens," Pistolesi said. "It's the first time I've ever had to pull out of a match with cramping."
Cho, the last direct entry into this year's main draw, advanced to her first Tier IV final. She appeared in the Tier V final of last November's event in Pattaya but lost to Angelique Widjaja. If Cho wins on Saturday, she will become the first Korean woman to capture a WTA Tour title.
"I never expected to do so well here," Cho said. "I just wanted some matches before the Australian Open."
Daniilidou is coming off the best season of her career in 2002. She won her first career title at 's-Hertogenbosch, advanced to the semifinals at Budapest and recorded her best career showing a major by reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon.
Daniilidou will be facing Cho for the first time.
"She's a good player," the 22-year-old from Greece said. "Whoever wants this title the most will win. Except for a few players in the world, you don't see much overpowering."
