SINGAPORE — Angelique Kerber eased into the last four of the WTA Finals with an unbeaten record when the world No. 1 thrashed Madison Keys 6-3, 6-3 in the Red Group finale at the Singapore Indoor Stadium Thursday.
The 28-year-old German won all three of her round robin matches and her straight sets triumph over Keys ensured Dominika Cibulkova would join her in the semifinals after the Slovak had earlier ground out a 6-3, 7-6(5) victory over Simona Halep.
Kerber has enjoyed a breakout season with Grand Slam victories at the Australian and US Opens, and her baseline hustling and resilient defense proved far too strong for an erratic Keys, who was broken six times in nine service games.
Kerber will face either defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska or Karolina Pliskova, a rematch of last month’s US Open final, in Saturday’s semifinals while Cibulkova is set for a showdown against White Group winner Svetlana Kuznetsova.
After losing round robin matches to Kerber and Keys, the Slovak needed a straight-set win to have any chance of advancing. She stayed alive with a determined display before the German world number one completed a perfect day for Cibulkova.
In the early match, the busy Cibulkova came out all guns blazing, looking far more composed than her opponent, harrying Halep on every point.
Murray beats Klizan
Top-seeded Andy Murray lost a set for the first time in 11 matches as he beat Martin Klizan of Slovakia 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-0 in the opening round of the Erste Bank Open Wednesday.
The second-ranked Scot, who won the event two years ago, came off back-to-back tournaments wins without dropping a set in Beijing and Shanghai.
Murray will next play Gilles Simon of France.
Also, Karen Khachanov of Russia joined Ivo Karlovic of Croatia and John Isner of the United States in the quarterfinals.
Khachanov saved a set point and won the last five games to defeat Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia 6-2, 7-5 to set up a quarterfinal against Karlovic.
The eighth-seeded Croat came back from 5-1 down in the final set to beat Damir Dzumhur of Bosnia-Hercegovina 7-6 (6), 4-6, 7-6 (5).
Isner beat former champion Feliciano Lopez 7-6 (1), 3-6, 7-6 (2).
In first-round play, Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany rallied to beat Stephane Robert of France 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (3), and Albert Ramos-Vinolas of Spain advanced with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Italy’s Fabio Fognini.
Nishikori, Del Potro Advance
Kei Nishikori and Juan Martin del Potro won in straight sets at the Swiss Indoors Wednesday to stay on course for a quarterfinals meeting.
Third-seeded Nishikori of Japan eased past Paolo Lorenzi of Italy 7-6 (3), 6-2 in a second round match.
Del Potro next faces David Goffin, the fifth-seeded Belgian who lost the 2014 final to seven-time Basel champion Federer, who ended his season early.
Earlier, Richard Gasquet of France became the third seeded player to exit in the opening round. The seventh-seeded Gasquet, who won the Antwerp title on Sunday, retired when trailing 6-2, 2-1 against Argentina’s Guido Pella.
Eighth-seeded American Jack Sock, who lost the Stockholm final to Del Potro, made a winning start, 6-3, 6-3 against Adrian Mannarino of France. — Agencies
