Barthel reaches semis in Quebec City

Mona Barthel, the only player among the top seven seeds still alive in the tournament, reached the semifinals Friday at the Challenge Bell. Barthel, seeded third and seeking her second WTA Tour victory of the year and her career, recorded a 6-3, 6-4 quarterfinal victory over Barbora Zahlavova Strycova. That set up a meeting with surprise semifinalist Kirsten Flipkens, who advanced when Anna Tatishvili retired in the second set. Flipkens had a 6-2, 3-0 lead when Tatishvili called an end to the match. Flipkens defeated top-seeded Dominika Cibulkova in the second round. The other semifinal will send Kristina Mladenovic against eighth-seeded Lucie Hradecka. Mladenovic breezed past Melanie Oudin 6-0, 6-1 while Hradecka was a 6-4, 6-2 winner over Lauren Davis.