Hong Kong Tennis 125: Emma Navarro beaten; Clara Tauson stops Nao Hibino to reach last 4
Top seed and world No 8 American upset by Russia’s Anna Blinkova, while Denmark’s No 2 player had no trouble against the world No 145
Danish No 2 Clara Tauson is two wins away from her first title in more than three years after she reached the semi-final of the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis 125 on Friday.
The 21-year-old from Kongens Lyngby, Denmark was hardly troubled by Japan’s Nao Hibino, breezing past the world No 145 6-1, 6-1 in about an hour for her third straight-set wins in four matches in the city.
In her semi-final on Saturday, tournament sixth seed Tauson will face France’s fourth-seeded Varvara Gracheva, who defeated Suzan Lamens of the Netherlands 4-6, 7-6, 6-4 in their quarter-final.
The other semi-final will see Russia’s Anna Blinkova – who stunned top seed and world No 8 American Emma Navarro 6-4, 6-3 in the late match on centre court – take on Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic, who received a walkover from US fifth seed McCartney Kessler.
Tauson, the world No 72, said after her quarter-final: “I don’t think any match is easy even though it looked easy.
“Sometimes it’s difficult to keep a good level throughout – I did today, which I am very thankful for.
