HOBART, Australia, Jan. 12 (UPI) -- Qualifier Mona Barthel defeated defending champion Jarmila Gajdosova in Thursday's quarterfinals at the Moorilla International tennis tournament in Australia.
Barthel fired eight aces and didn't have a double fault in a 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 win over Gajdosova, the No. 5 seed. Barthel piled up three breaks in the second set and didn't face a break point in the third.
Barthel won three qualifying matches to reach the Moorilla main draw and ousted second-seeded Anabel Medina Garrigues before taking out Gajdosova. She'll next go against fifth-seeded Angelique Kerber, who was a 6-0, 3-6, 7-5 winner over Sorana Cirstea in her quarterfinal.
No. 1-seeded Yanina Wickmayer rolled into the semifinals with a 6-4, 6-0 win over Simona Halep. Wickmayer lost just nine points in the third set.
Sixth-seeded Shahar Peer advanced when Anna Chakvetadze retired in the third set. After splitting the first two sets 6-4, 4-6, Peer broke Chakvetadze at love to open the third set and Chakvetadze then said she couldn't continue.
