Carson, CA (My Sportsbook) - Second-seeded Russian Vera Zvonareva lost her quarterfinal match on Friday, while Russian Maria Sharapova advanced to the semifinals at the $700,000 LA Women's Tennis Championships, a US Open Series event. Italian Flavia Pennetta, seeded 10th at this week's tournament, routed Zvonareva 6-4, 6-2. Pennetta was last year's Carson runner-up to reigning world No. 1 Dinara Safina. Sharapova, a three-time major champion and former world No. 1, posted a 6-4, 7-5 victory over Poland's Urszula Radwanska on the hardcourts at The Home Depot Center. Meanwhile, rising 19-year-old Romanian Sorana Cirstea toppled eighth-seeded Pole Agnieszka Radwanska 7-6 (7-4), 1-6, 7-5 in 2 1/2 hours to reach her second semifinal of the year. Aussie Samantha Stosur, the 13th seed, rallied from a set down to defeat China's Zheng Jie 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. The 14th-seeded Zheng stunned Safina in the third round on Thursday. Pennetta will play Sharapova on Saturday, while Stosur battles Cirstea. The 2009 LA champ will take home $107,000. |
