Mayr-Achleitner advances to Gastein semis

BAD GASTEIN, Austria, July 15 (UPI) -- Local favorite Patricia Mayr-Achleitner needed just more than an hour Friday to win a semifinal slot at the Gastein Ladies tennis tournament in Austria.

Only two of the scheduled four quarterfinals were decided Friday as rain caused suspensions of matches between eighth-seeded Kesnia Pervak and Laura Pous-Tio and the other pitting Carla Suarez Navarro against Kateryna Bondarenko.

Pervak, the only seeded player remaining in the field, leads Pous-Tio 3-0 while Suarez Navarro is up 5-2 on Bondarenko.

Mayr-Achleitner, an Austrian native, earned her place in Saturday's semifinals with a 6-2, 6-2 romp over Dia Evtimova in 63 minutes. Mayr-Achleitner converted five of her six break-point chances.

Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez defeated Yvonne Meusburger 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, 6-3 in the other match completed Friday. They took nearly 3 hours to decide the match, which turned on Martinez Sanchez saving all six of the break points she faced in the final set.

Mayr-Achleitner will take on the winner of the Pervak-Pous-Tio match while Martinez Sanchez is to go against the survivor of the match between Suarez Navarro and Bondarenko.