Defending champion Larsson in semis

BASTAD (Sweden): Defending champion Johanna Larsson advanced to the Swedish Open semi-finals by beating fourth-seeded Annika Beck 7-5, 6-1.

The eighth-seeded Swede, who won her first WTA title in Bastad in 2015, lost her serve toward the end of the first set but recovered to win the opener, before comfortably taking the second set against her Germna opponent on Friday.

“I really do love playing on home turf,” the 27-year-old Larsson said.

“Without the support things would’ve been much harder for me.”

Larsson plays Katerina Siniakova in the semi-final. The Czech beat second-seeded Sara Errani of Italy 7-6 (7-2), 6-3 in the quarter-finals.

In an all-German semi-final, Julia Goerges takes on Laura Siegemund, who beat Spain’s Lara Arruabarrena 7-5, 6-3.

Goerges needed three sets to beat Karin Knapp of Italy 4-6, 6-2, 6-3.