Latvian Jelena Ostapenko prevailed in battle of the giant killers at the Qatar Total Open, seeing off Zheng Saisai of China in straight sets yesterday to enter her maiden Premier semifinal.
Twenty-four hours after she knocked out two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, Ostapenko produced another scintillating display of baseline aggression to blow away Zheng, 6-4, 6-3, in an hour and 38 minutes.
While Zheng was unable to replicate the standards she set in upsetting top seed and Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber last time out, she battled away gamely throughout. After weathering early onslaughts in both sets - she trailed 3-0 in the first and 4-1 in the second - Zheng clung onto her teenage foe’s coattails to remain competitive.
However, her resistance was finally broken in a titanic penultimate game, Ostapenko converting her fifth break point when a clubbing backhand landed on the baseline. Moments later the Latvian arrived at match point, converting with another pin-point winner.
“First I thought I was going to be playing qualies, but then I was second in and got into the main draw,” Ostapenko said. “Then win by win, I was playing better and better. I’m so happy I’m still here!”
Ostapenko was prepared to take risks - 33 winners were outnumbered by 45 unforced errors - and her reward is a maiden Premier semifinal, where she will meet Andrea Petkovic, who got past fourth seed Garbine Muguruza.
World No.9 Petkovic played some of her best tennis of the year to maintain a perfect head-to-head record against Muguruza, winning, 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 to reach the semifinals. “It’s very special,” Petkovic said of her first Top 5 win in three years. “It was so tough; GarbiNe is such a talented and dangerous player who put me under pressure. I was a little lucky in the end, but I’m just happy to be through.”
Each woman hit 29 winners, but while the German played cleanly throughout - hitting just 16 unforced errors - Muguruza had more issues with consistency, hitting 38 by match’s end. “I’ve been playing really well the past few weeks. Everything is coming together and I’m getting my match focus again. I’m really happy I’m on the right path and really looking forward to the whole season.”
In another match, Carla Suarez Navarro restored a sense of order with a 6-3, 7-6(3) win over qualifier Elena Vesnina. The result took Suarez Navarro into her second semifinal in Doha and also back into the Top 10.
The Spaniard has been one of the most consistent performers on tour in recent years and has been vocal about her hopes of rising even higher. “Today was very tough, she has won a lot of matches and is playing really well,” Suarez Navarro said. “In the second set she was amazing! But I just fight and I also played a good match. “It’s tough on tour, but I feel good on tour and this year I feel ready to go further.”
In the semis, Suarez Navarro will take on either third seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland or ninth seed Italian Roberta Vinci, who were playing a later quarterfinal last night.

Hingis-Mirza knocked out
In a major upset in doubles, top seeds Martina Hingis of Switzerland and Sania Mirza of India were knocked out in the quarterfinals yesterday, ending their 41-match winning streak. The Australian open winners lost to Russian pair Daria Kasatkina and Elena Vesnina 6-2, 4-6 5/10 in a grueling encounter.
Results
(X denotes seeding) Quarter-finals:  
Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) bt Zheng Saisai (CHN) 6-4, 6-3
Andrea Petkovic (GER) bt Garbine Muguruza (ESP x4) 6-1, 5-7, 6-2
Carla Sauarez Navarro (ESP x8) bt Elena Vesnina (RUS) 6-3, 7-6 (7/3)
Doubles - Quarterfinals
G Dabrowski / M Martínez Sánchez (CAN/ESP) bt K Bondarenko / O Savchuk (UKR/UKR) 7-6(4), 7-5
S Errani / C Suárez Navarro (ITA/ESP) bt [2] B Mattek-Sands / Y Shvedova (USA/KAZ) 5-7, 6-4, 10-5
D Kasatkina / E Vesnina (RUS/RUS) d [1] M Hingis / S Mirza (SUI/IND) 2-6, 6-4, 10-5