Bastad, Sweden – Reigning champion Polona Hercog and last year's runner-up Johanna Larsson could be on a collision course to meet in a second straight Swedish Open final.
The Slovenian Hercog overcame Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 in quarterfinal action on the red clay at Bastad Tennis Stadium.
Hercog, who beat Larsson in last year's Bastad finale, will meet seventh- seeded German Mona Barthel in Saturday's semifinals. Barthel reached the final four by handling Sweden's own Sofia Arvidsson 6-3, 6-4.
The other semi will pit Larsson against France's Mathilde Johansson.
Larsson saw double-duty on Friday after rain wreaked havoc here on Thursday. The Swede opened her day with a 6-4, 6-4 second-round upset of third-seeded Spaniard Anabel Medina Garrigues and capped her Friday activity with a 2-0 quarterfinal victory over sixth-seeded Czech Klara Zakopalova, who retired due to an illness while playing her second match of the day.
Johansson, like Larsson, also won a pair of matches on Day 5, as she outlasted Israeli Shahar Peer 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 in a second-rounder and then upended fifth- seeded Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-4, 6-0 in a quarterfinal.
Other second-round play saw Zakopalova zip past Colombian qualifier Mariana Duque Marino 6-0, 6-1 and Arvidsson erase Dutchwoman Arantxa Rus 6-4, 7-5.
The 2012 Bastad champion will earn $37,000.
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