Top seeds tumble out in Memphis
Top-seeded Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium was eliminated by Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia, the No 7 seed, 6-7 (11), 7-5, 6-3 in the quarterfinals of the US National Indoor Championships in Memphis, Tennessee, on Thursday.
Flipkens's loss meant the tournament's top two seeds in the women's draw have been eliminated. Second-seeded Sofia Arvidsson lost her second-round match to Marina Erakovic on Wednesday.
And fourth-seeded Heather Watson of Britain also lost on Thursday, 6-1, 6-2 to Stefanie Voegele of Switzerland.
That left Sabine Lisicki of Germany as the only player in the top half of the draw to move on to the semifinals after she defeated eighth-seeded Kristina Mladenovic 6-3, 6-3.
In Friday's semifinals, Voegele will play Erakovic of New Zealand, a 7-5, 6-2 winner over Jamie Hampton of the United States on Thursday, while Lisicki and Rybarikova will face off in the other match.
