OSAKA, Japan (AP) Former champion Samantha Stosur moved into the Japan Open semifinals with a 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 win against Misaki Doi of Japan on Friday.
Third-seeded Stosur, who won the title in 2009, raced away to 5-0 in the opening set but it was far from simple after that as Doi battled back to stir the home crowd and take the second.
The pair exchanged breaks of service in the third set before Stosur, the highest remaining seed, held out to win.
Awaiting Stosur in the last four on Saturday is American teenager Madison Keys, who reached her first WTA semifinals with a 6-3, 6-1 win against Zheng Jie of China.
In the other semi, Canada's Eugenie Bouchard faces the last Japanese, Kurumi Nara.