• WTA Tour

Safina out as Petrova powers on

Dinara Safina lost in straight sets to Klara Zakopalova © Getty Images

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Former world No. 1 Dinara Safina's run in at the Korea Open came to an abrupt end, as top seed Nadia Petrova made serene progress in Seoul.

Safina, on the comeback trail from a back injury, was granted a wildcard in Korea, but after an impressive win over third seed Maria Kirilenko on Thursday, Klara Zakopalova proved one step too far for the Russian.

The world No. 59, who has plummeted down the rankings after an injury-fraught season, showed signs of returning to her best, but fell 7-5 6-3. Safina created more break point opportunities than her opponent, but was characteristically let down by her serve, smashing five double faults.

Zakopalova will now meet top seed Petrova, who eased into the semi-finals with a 6-2 6-1 win over Kirsten Flipkens. In a perfectly balanced performance, Petrova dropped six points in each set as she won more points than her opponent on Flipkens' serve.

In the other half of the draw defending champion Kimiko Date Krumm was beaten by a determined Agnes Szavay. Date Krumm, who turns 40 next week, produced a typically dogged display but was outmuscled 6-2 6-7 (3) 6-3. Eighth seed Szavay, Elena Baltacha's conqueror, will now meet Alisa Kleybanova for a place in the final after the fifth seed beat Ekaterina Makarova, 6-1 6-2.

Meanwhile, at the Tashkent Open, Elena Vesnina will go head-to-head with Alla Kudryavtseva in an all-Russian final in Uzbekistan.

Seventh seed Kudryavtseva beat fellow Russia Evgeniya Rodina 6-1 3-6 6-3 to seal her place in her second final in as many weeks following her defeat to Jarmila Groth at the Guangzhou International in China last week.

Fourth seed Vesnina beat Romania's Monica Niculescu 6-3 3-6 6-4 to remain on course for her first WTA title - having lost all three of her previous final appearances.

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