PALERMO, Italy, July 21 (UPI) -- Two-time defending champion Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain Friday reached her third straight semifinal at the Italian Open Tennis Tournament.
In the quarters, she beat Karin Knapp of Italy, 7-5, 7-6 (7-2), continuing her quest for a fourth title in this event in the last six years.
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In the semifinals on Saturday, the 23-year-old Medina Garrigues will face No. 4 seed Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic. Safarova beat Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, also from Spain, 6-4, 6-4.
In Friday's other quarters, Tathiana Garbin of Italy topped Julia Schruff of Germany, 6-2, 6-4, and countrywoman Roberta Vinci outlasted France's Aravane Rezai, 6-3, 5-7, 6-1.
Garbin and Vinci will meet in the other semifinal.
