WTA roundup: Claire Liu pulls upset to reach Budapest semifinals

There was a shake-up in the brackets as unseeded American Claire Liu knocked off eighth seed Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 7-5, 6-4 in the quarterfinals of the Hungarian Grand Prix on Friday in Budapest.

Liu had the edge in aces, 5-3, and saved 9 of 12 break points, to 5 of 10 for Schmiedlova of the Slovak Republic in the two-hour, 11-minute match.

Liu reached her third career tour-level semifinal and first since the Jasmin Open Monastir in Tunisia in October 2022.

Ninth-seeded Nadia Podoroska of Argentina got the better of sixth seed Elina Avanesyan of Russia, 6-1, 6-3.

Maria Timofeeva of Russia needed three sets to oust qualifier Kaja Juvan of Slovenia 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. Timofeeva, 19, reached the semifinals in her WTA main-draw debut.

The quarterfinal match between Fanny Stollar of Hungary and Kateryna Baindl of Ukraine was suspended tied 1-1 in the first set.

Timofeeva and Podoroska will meet Saturday in the semifinals.

34 Palermo Ladies Open

Top seed Daria Kasatkina was upset by fifth seed Jasmine Paolini, who won their quarterfinal match 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 in Italy.

Paolini, the last Italian in the tournament, also rallied through triple break point in the third set in capturing the match in two hours, 25 minutes. Paolini had the better of her Russian counterpart in break points saved - 68.4 per cent (13 of 19) to 30 per cent (3 of 10).

Third seed Mayar Sherif of Egypt had less of an issue dispatching unseeded Camila Osorio of Colombia, 6-4, 6-1. Sherif converted four of seven break points and converted all four of her opportunities to break Osorio's serve.

Second seed Qinwen Zheng of China eliminated seventh-seeded American Emma Navarro 6-4, 6-2. Sara Sorribes Tormo of Spain knocked out another unseeded player, Clara Burel of France,