ADELAIDE: Top seeds Jessica Pegula and Tommy Paul powered into the Adelaide International semi-finals on Thursday with straight-set wins as they play themselves into form days before the Australian Open.
The American duo allowed their opponents few chances in quarter-final routs, with Pegula dispatching fatigued compatriot Ashlyn Krueger 6-4, 2-0 through retirement.
Krueger, a lucky loser from qualifying, was feeling the effects of nine matches over the past 12 days in Brisbane and Adelaide.
World No. 7 Pegula, last year's US Open finalist, played doubles with Krueger this week and knew her partner was tired.
"It's never fun to win with a retirement," said the 30-year-old.
"I knew she had a tough singles yesterday. But coming out you never know what to expect, she was still playing amazing tennis."
She will face Yulia Putintseva for a place in the final after the Kazakh player took more than three hours to beat world No. 13 Diana Shnaider 7-6 (7-3), 6-7 (9-11), 6-4.
Russia's Liudmila Samsonova earned her first top-10 win in more than a year when she ousted world No. 8 and second seed Emma Navarro, 6-4, 6-4.
Samsonova will face Madison Keys next after the American upset third seed Daria Kasatkina 6-1, 6-3.
In the men's draw, Paul duplicated his final-four place in Adelaide from 2020 with a 6-3, 6-4 defeat of Australian Rinky Hijikata.
He will now face Canadian fifth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime, who defeated American Marcos Giron 7-6 (7-3), 6-3.
"That's a big match," said Paul, who is seeking a fifth ATP Tour title.
"The more time on court the better for me."
Serbia's Miomir Kecmanovic surged into the last four with a 6-2, 6-3 defeat of French qualifier Benjamin Bonzi.
His reward is a clash with American second seed Sebastian Korda, who had a walkover after Australia's Thanasi Kokkinakis pulled out injured. - AFP