Serena coasts into semifinals

STANFORD, Calif., July 18 (UPI) -- Serena Williams rolled to a 6-3, 6-1 win over Patty Schnyder Friday to reach the semifinals of the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford, Calif.

Williams, playing in this tournament for the first time, will meet Aleksandra Wozniak in Saturday's semifinals. Wozniak outlasted Samantha Stosur in quarterfinal action 6-2, 5-7, 6-4.

The other semifinal will send Ai Sugiyama against Marion Bartoli.

Sugiyama advanced when Dominika Cibulkova retired in the third set. It will be Sugiyama's first semifinal appearance of the season.

Bartoli moved on with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over second-seeded Anna Chakvetadze.