Barbara stuns top seed, enters QNET Open semis

Barbara Haas, 18, continued her dramatic run in the QNET Open $50,000 ITF Women's Circuit by toppling top seeded Austrian compatriot Patricia Mayr-Achleitner in straight sets in the quarter-finals at the DLTA Complex here Thursday.

In the semi-finals Friday, Barbara will meet seventh seed Elise Mertens (Belgium), who recovered from a first set loss to get past her doubles partner, No.3 Marina Melnikova (Russia) 3-6, 7-5, 6-2. Barbara, who made it to two ITF finals in Greece last month, claimed a second seeded player's scalp in three rounds here.

Former World junior No.1 Ivana Jorovic (Serbia) had it easy after the first set tie-breaker in beating Nicha Lertpitaksinchai (Thailand) and setting up a semi-final battle with No.2 Anastasiya Vasyleva (Ukraine), who staved off Sabina Sharipova (Uzbekistan) 6-3, 6-4.

Results: Singles (quarter-finals): Barbara Haas (Austria) beat 1-Patricia Mayr-Achleitner (Austria) 6-3, 7-6(3); 7-Elise Mertens (Belgium) beat 3-Marina Melnikova (Russia) 3-6, 7-5, 6-2; Ivana Jorovic (Serbia) beat Nicha Lertpitaksinchai (Thailand) 7-6(3), 6-0; 2-Anastasiya Vasyleva (Ukraine) beat 6 Sabina Sharipova (Uzbekistan) 6-3, 6-4.

Doubles (semi-finals): 4-Liu Chang and Lu Jia-Jing (China) beat 1-Nicha Lertpitaksinchai and Peangtarn Plipuech (Thailand) 1-6, 6-4, 10-6; 2-Marina Melnikova (Russia) and Elise Mertens (Belgium) beat 3-Margarita Lazareva (Russia) and Anastasiya Vasylyeva (Ukarine) 6-4, 6-3.