Hobart, Australia – Top-seeded Belgian Yanina Wickmayer was as easy winner, while defending champion Jarmila Gajdosova was upended in the quarterfinals Thursday at the $220,000 Moorilla Hobart International tennis event.
Wickmayer cruised past Romania's Simona Halep 6-4, 6-0 in a match that last under an hour on the hardcourts at Domain Tennis Centre.
The fifth-seeded Slovakian native Gajdosova, on the other hand, rolled through the first set against German Mona Barthel before dropping the final two on the way to a 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 defeat.
Barthel recorded eight aces to punch her ticket to the semifinals.
Gajdosova beat American Bethanie Mattek-Sands in last year's Hobart finale.
Also on Thursday, Germany's Angelique Kerber, the fourth seed, outlasted Sorana Cirstea of Romania 6-0, 3-6, 7-5, converting 6-of-13 break opportunities.
Sixth-seeded Israeli Shahar Peer is scheduled to face former top-10 star Anna Chakvetadze of Russia later on Thursday.
The winner of this final Australian Open tuneup will earn $37,000.
