Mirza makes Pattaya City semifinals

PATTAYA CITY, Thailand, Feb. 9 (UPI) -- Fifth-seeded Sania Mirza beat No. 3 Mara Santangelo of Italy, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4), in a quarterfinal match Friday at the Pattaya Open tennis tournament.

Mirza, a native of India, will join fourth-seeded Shuai Peng of China, No. 6 seed Gisela Dulko of Argentina and Austria's Sybille Bammer in Saturday's semifinals.

Shuai, who is the event's highest remaining seed, beat Israeli Tzipora Obziler, 6-3, 6-2.

Dulko topped Aussie Nicole Pratt, 6-2, 6-3, and the unseeded Bammer was a 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, winner over Martina Sucha of Slovakia, who was also unseeded.

The tournament's winner Sunday will collect $23,700.