Mauresmo ousts Ivanovic in Brisbane

BRISBANE, Australia, Jan. 8 (UPI) -- France's Amelie Mauresmo downed Ana Ivanovic in straight sets Thursday, ending the top-seeded Serbian star's bid to win the Brisbane International in Australia.

Mauresmo, the No. 5 seed, won 6-3, 6-2, her sixth triumph in eight career matches against Ivanovic, to move on to the semifinals where she will take on third-seeded countrywoman Marion Bartoli, a 6-3, 6-3 victor over Italian Tathiana Garbin.

The favored Ivanovic had won easily in the first round but had to overcome two Roberta Vinci match points in the second, setting up her match with Mauresmo.

In other quarterfinal matches, Italian Sara Errani downed Olga Govortsova of Russia 6-3, 6-3 and Belarusian Victoria Azarenka, the No. 2 seed, beat Czech Lucie Safarova, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4.

Azarenka and Safarova will clash in the semis.