Wickmayer continues strong WTA run in Taipei

TAIPEI, Taiwan, Nov. 8 (UPI) -- Yanina Wickmayer, the No. 2 seed, had the only straight-set win in Friday's quarterfinals of the 125K-level OEC Taipei WTA Challenger tournament.

Wickmayer rolled by Zheng Saisai 6-3, 6-1, cashing in five of her six break chances along the way. Wickmayer ended up taking 56 percent of the points off Zheng's serve.

The lone game she dropped on serve came during the second set when she won more than 60 percent of the points overall. That includes going 16-of-24 when Zheng served and 3-for-3 in break points.

Wickmayer, with three career titles but none in nearly four years, is the only player to advance to the semifinals with a WTA championship.

She next goes against Luksika Kumkhum, who was a 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 winner over Petra Martic in her quarterfinal. Kumkhum was good on only half of her first serves and had five double faults but still won nearly three-quarters of the points on serve. She went 3-for-3 in break chances over the last two sets.

Dinah Pfizenmaier fired off 10 aces in defeating Katarzyna Piter 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 and Alison Van Uytvanck completed the quarterfinal round with a 6-3, 6-7 (2-7), 7-5 win over Ekaterina Bychkova. Van Uytvanck allowed Bychkova just one break opportunity in the match.

On Saturday, Pfizenmaier will go against Van Uytvanck, who she beat last year in their only career meeting, and the other semifinal will mark the first match between Wickmayer and Kumkhum.