Sensational Semis Set In Sofia

Flavia Pennetta, Carla Suárez Navarro and Garbiñe Muguruza have joined Andrea Petkovic in a fantastic final four at the Garanti Koza WTA Tournament Of Champions (Source: wtatennis.com)

A day after Andrea Petkovic secured her spot, three more WTA stars secured theirs in the semifinals of the season-ending in Sofia.

Carla Suárez Navarro, the No.5 seed this week, began the day with a 7-6(2), 6-1 win over No.8 seed Tsvetana Pironkova, rallying from 3-1 down in the first set - and saving a pair of set points while serving to stay alive in that first set at 5-6 - en route to victory in an hour and 28 minutes.

With the straight set win she finished first place in Group Sredets, with Petkovic second place.

"If I lost a set today I would be out, so if I missed on one of those set points I would have been out, so I was pretty nervous on the court today!" Suárez Navarro said. "She was playing very well in the first set, too. But I was just trying to do my best and I'm happy I could make it through to the semifinals."

The second match of the day saw No.7 seed Garbiñe Muguruza improve to 3-0 in Group Serdika with a 6-3, 7-5 win over No.6 seed Alizé Cornet, rallying from 4-1 down in the second set to close it out.

"The second set was really difficult because that was the moment I realized I could win," Muguruza said. "I was feeling the pressure. She was playing well too. But I just had to think and focus on my tactics, and try to win it there. I'm very happy how I played and very excited to make the semis."I'm really pleased to make the semifinals, because I didn't even know I was coming here until three days before in Singapore. For me to be here and to win three matches is very exciting for me."

Muguruza not only secured first place in Group Serdika with that win, she also brought Flavia Pennetta along with her into second place, no matter how Pennetta fared in the last match of the day.

The No.3-seeded Pennetta didn't disappoint, beating alternate Karolina Pliskova, 6-1, 6-3.

And so, Saturday's semis are set - Muguruza against Petkovic and Pennetta against Suárez Navarro.

Petkovic beat Muguruza in the pair's only previous meeting, which was also on indoor hardcourts.

"I expect a very difficult match. She's also playing very well here," Muguruza said. "We haven't played in a long time, so it's going to be tough, but I hope to play well and we'll see how it goes."

Pennetta leads Suárez Navarro in their head-to-head series, 3-2, though Suárez Navarro did win their most recent head-to-head meeting, which came just a few weeks ago at the China Open in Beijing.

"Wherever we play, we always have a good fight," Pennetta said. "I think tomorrow will be like that too."