Top-seed Schiavone makes Gastein semis

BAD GASTEIN, Austria, July 27 (UPI) -- Top-seeded Francesca Schiavone had to battle past Agnes Szavay Friday to make the semifinals of the $175,000 Gastein Ladies tennis tournament in Austria.

Schiavone needed four sets to eliminate the sixth-ranked Szavay 7-6 (7-5), 2-6, 6-4.

Szavay, who won the Palermo event last week, was riding a seven-match winning streak before being upended on the clay courts at Bad Gastein.

Schiavone will face fourth-seeded Estonian Kaia Kanepi on Saturday. Kanepi downed Czech Renata Voracova 6-4, 3-6, 6-0.

Also moving to the semis was Saturday's other semi were seventh-seeded Italian Karin Knapp, who beat Spanish qualifier Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez 4-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-1. Austria's Yvonne Meusburger upended eighth-seeded Spaniard Lourdes Dominguez Lino 6-1, 6-4.