Belgian qualifier Ysaline Bonaventure's dream run at the ASB Classic continues.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Bonaventure powered into the semifinals with an impressive 6-4 6-2 win over in-form Canadian third seed Leylah Fernandez on Friday.
The 28-year-old's quarterfinal win was made more impressive by the fact rising young star Fernandez had dropped just three games in her first and second round victories.
Bonaventure, ranked 95th-ranked in the world, had also knocked out another seeded Canadian, eighth seed Rebecca Marino, on Thursday.
Earlier, top seed Coco Gauff was the first player to book their spot in the last four.
Again playing indoors as the Auckland rain continues, the world No 7 wrapped up a 6-3 6-2 quarterfinal win over China's Lin Zhu on Friday.
The young American, making her debut at the New Zealand event, was yet to drop a set in her three matches.
Gauff was set to face a semifinal against seventh seed Danka Kovinich.
The player from Montenegro completed a 6-3 6-2 victory over Slovakia's Viktoria Kuzmova in the second quarterfinal.
In the last of the quarterfinals, young Spaniard Rebeka Masarova outlasted Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic 7-6 7-6 in a contest lasting more than two hours.
The match was very nearly able to start outdoors on centre court, only for rain to return just moment before the first point was set to be played.
After a delay, and with the rain worsening, the players moved indoors once again.
Masarova's win means her semifinal against Bonaventure will be a battle of two qualifiers for a place in the title deciding match.
- RNZ