Carla Suarez Navarro‘s lifted confidence has translated into a more aggressive style of play that took her to two finals this season and ensured that her first-round Australian Open loss has remained her only 2015 defeat before the quarterfinals (in 11 tournaments she’s played). The form has continued at this week’s Internazionali BNL d’Italia, as the tenth-seeded Spaniard made the semifinals with a 6-3 6-2 dismantling of fourth seed Petra Kvitova and ensured her WTA-leading 30th win of the season.
In the semifinals of the prestigious claycourt tournament, CNS will face another WTA force, second seed Simona Halep, who gave away just one game to compatriot Alexandra Dulgheru in the quarterfinals.
The second semifinal pair will feature Daria Gavrilova, who defeated Christina McHale 6-2 6-4 to win the intriguing encounter between two young qualifiers and earn a stellar rise to the Top 50, and third seed Maria Sharapova, who completed the semifinal field with a 6-3 6-2 straight-set victory over Victoria Azarenka, despite a very modest 38% first-serve percentage in the first set.
Carla is playing well this season. I could see her potientially finishing in the Top 10 this season along with Karolina Pliskova.
potentially*
Emman Damian, why not, she’s now risen to No.8.