EASTBOURNE: Former champion Agnieszka Radwanska reached the semi-finals of the Eastbourne International on Thursday with a straightforward 6-2, 6-2 defeat of Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova.

The 2008 champion from Poland, who went out in the first round on the English south coast in three successive editions from 2012-2014, needed just 65 minutes to advance from four breaks of serve.

The world number 13 Radwanska, seeded ninth, will on Friday face off against Sloane Stephens after the American advanced without hitting a shot when Russian lucky loser opponent Daria Gavrilova had to retire before their quarter-final with an abdominal strain.

Radwanska improved her Eastbourne record to 12-7 as she beat Pironkova for the ninth time in 11 meetings, following up her Nottingham semi-final on grass earlier in June.

While Radwanska wasted no time in advancing on a sunny day at Devonshire Park, it took Swiss teenager Belinda Bencic just under two hours to eliminate the last British challenger of the home week at the pre-Wimbledon preparation event.

The number 31, who played a grass final this month in the Netherlands and lost to Italy’s Camila Giorgi, defeated Australian-born Briton Johanna Konta 2-6, 6-0, 6-3.

Results (x denotes seeding):

Quarter-finals: Sloane Stephens (US) bt Daria Gavrilova (RUS) – w/o; Agnieszka Radwanska (POL x9) bt Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) 6-2, 6-2; Belinda Bencic (SUI) bt Johanna Konta (GBR) 2-6, 6-0, 6-3; Caroline Wozniacki (DEN x2) bt Andrea Petkovic (GER x10) 7-5, 6-1.

BAGHDATIS, ISTOMIN MAKE SEMIS

NOTTINGHAM: Maros Baghdatis of Cyprus on Thursday made it to the semi-final of the Nottingham Open after defeating Italy’s Simone Bolelli in their quarter-final.

On the other hand, fourth-seeded Leonardo Mayer of Argentina was defeated by Uzbekistan’s Denins Istomin in the second quarter-final of the day.

Results (x denotes seeding)

Quarter-finals: Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) bt Simone Bolelli (ITA) 6-4, 6-4; Denis Istomin (UZB) bt Leonardo Mayer (ARG x4) 6-3, 6-7 (8/10), 7-6 (8/6).

Published in Dawn, June 26th, 2015

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