Cibulkova beats Suarez Navarro to reach quarters in Tokyo

The Chan sisters then fought back to claim the super tiebreak 10-8 against their Ukrainian-Chinese opponents in 1 hour, 11 minutes, the second straight match in which they were taken to the brink after comprehensively winning the first set. Cibulkova beat Ivanovic in the first round of the U.S. Open this year, and beat sixth-seeded Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain 6-4, 6-4 on Thursday.

Slovakia’s Dominika Cibulkova scored a shock win over former world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic at the Pan Pacific Open on Friday, booking a semifinal spot with a straight-sets victory at the Ariake Tennis Forest Park.

Third-seeded Stephens defeated 44-year-old Date-Krumm, champion in Seoul in 2009, 6-3, 6-4 in the second round of the tournament. She knocked off No. 6 Lucie Safarova on grass at Eastbourne before beating then No. 7 Ivanovic in the US Open opening round. The set would stay on serve until Ivanovic secured a late break to take the opener.

“I’m obviously happy to have the victory tonight”, Ivanovic said after the match.

“Today was my best match here in Tokyo”, said Cibulkova on the court after the match.

Trailing Giorgi 1-2 in the second set, Ivanovic called for coach Nigel Sears, who told his charge: “Keep making her work and keep your head”. She generates a lot of power off the ground strokes and serve.

She will take on seventh-seed Agnieszka Radwanska. I really had to stay low because she has such a powerful game. “I really feel like I’m ready for revenge”.

Radwanska progressed to the Saturday semifinal with a win over Karolina Pliskova, taking her career record to 4-0 over the Czech world No. 11.

The 18-year-old right-handed Bencic will next meet Caroline Wozniacki who got past Angelique Kerber in the second quarterfinal. Pliskova pounded 10 aces in a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Japan’s Kurumi Nara.