Wozniacki Continues Auckland Dominance to Reach Final Four

Caroline Wozniacki reached the ASB Classic in Auckland, Australia semifinals on Thursday, getting by Romanian Alexandra Dulgheru 6-1, 6-0, a day after dropping just two games to American Christina McHale.

“I played really well tonight. I started off strongly and played aggressively, came to the net a few times, served well and it was a good performance,” the third-seeded Dane said. “I want to keep going the way I’ve been doing. I’ve been working really hard in the offseason and I’m happy that it’s showing.”

From the onset, Wozniacki pounced all over Dulgheru’s serve. She won 68 percent of her return points and converted on five of her six break point chances. Wozniacki’s serve has been a point of improvement thus far in 2016 and that showed on Thursday as she won 83 percent of her first serves.

In the semifinals, she will meet American Sloane Stephens, who ended the run of Great Britain’s Naomi Broady with a 7-6(6), 6-3 triumph on Thursday.

“Sloane’s a great player and it’s going to be a tough one tomorrow,” said Wozniacki, who has won all five of the previous meetings between her and Stephens. “I’ve played really well against her in the past, but it’s a new year and a new tournament. It’s never been an easy one against her. I’m just excited to get another challenge out there and I hope I can keep my level.”

Austrian qualifier Tamira Paszek outlasted Belgian qualifier Kirsten Flipkens 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-3 to reach the semifinals where she will take on Julia Goerges of Germany. Goerges came back from a set down to upend Nao Hibino 6-7(3), 6-2, 6-4 in her quarterfinal on Thursday.

In Shenzhen, China, American Allison Riske made her way into the semifinals with a 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 victory over Estonia’s Anett Kontaveit on Thursday.

Riske will take on Hungary’s Timea Babos in the semifinals, who upset sixth-seeded Canadian Eugenie Bouchard with a routine 6-4, 6-4 win. Babos broke Bouchard once in each set, and was phenomenal on serve, winning 80 percent of her first serve points.

Top-seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland cruised past China’s Qiang Wang 6-3, 6-2 to book her spot in the semifinals. The only seeded player left in the draw, Radwanska will play Germany’s Anna-Lena Friedsam next. Friedsam knocked off Czech Republic’s Katerina Siniakova 6-4, 2-6, 6-1 in her quarterfinal on Thursday.