• French Open, Day 10

Stosur sails past Cibulkova into semi-finals

ESPN staff
June 5, 2012
Sam Stosur is through to the French Open semi-finals for the third time in her career © PA Photos
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Sam Stosur stepped up her French Open challenge as she sealed a place in the semi-finals with victory over Dominika Cibulkova.

The US Open champion was clinical as she wrapped up a 6-4 6-1 victory on Court Philippe Chatrier to reach the semi-finals at Roland Garros for the third time in her career.

Cibulkova was impressive as she defeated top seed Victoria Azarenka in the fourth round, but she was left to rue a series of unforced errors as she was punished for failing to make the most of her chances.

Maria Sharapova may be considered by many as the "champion in waiting" in Paris, but Stosur suggested she could be the one to end the Russian's bid for a career Grand Slam as she demonstrated her clay-court credentials with a supremely confident performance.

Stosur started strongly, grabbing a break in the fifth game before streaking to a 5-2 lead, only to allow her opponent back in when serving for the set as Cibulkova threatened to make a comeback. Serving for the set for a second time, Stosur was then forced to fend off two further break points, but she hung on to close out the opening set.

The sixth seed had to save another three break chances early in the second, but that effectively ended Cibulkova's resistance as Stosur streaked away to victory.

Standing between Stosur and a place in the final is Italian Sara Errani, who reached her first grand slam semi-final with a 6-3 7-6(2) victory over Angelique Kerber.

Errani has been in impressive form of late, winning three clay-court titles before arriving in Paris, and she got off to a rapid start against the No. 10 seed, grabbing an early break. Despite boasting the superior serve, it was the German who found herself under constant pressure, while failing to forge a single break point as she was outplayed by the agile Errani in the opening set.

If Kerber had no joy on the Errani serve in the first stanza, she had no such troubles in the second. On four occasions Kerber broke Errani's serve, but failed to consolidate her advantage as she allowed her opponent back in each time. Errani showed impressive character to break back each time before taking the tiebreak to secure an impressive victory.

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