Minella takes upset route to semifinals

Mandy Minella dropped just four games in the last two sets in earning a berth in the semifinals of the Nurnberger Gastein Ladies tennis tournament in Austria. Minella got by eighth-seeded Johanna Larsson 1-6, 6-2, 6-2 in the lone upset in Friday's four matches. She lost her serve twice in the final set but finished off all four of her break-point chances to claim the win. She had two breaks evening the match in the second set. Minella's semifinal opponent will be second-seeded Yanina Wickmayer, who defeated Yvonne Meusburger 6-3, 6-2. Wickmayer, despite losing her serve twice in the first set, won nearly two-thirds of the points on serve. Third-seeded Ksenia Pervak advanced to the semifinals with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Chichi Sholl. She finished off the match by taking 65 percent of the points in the second set. No. 7-seeded Alize Cornet had little trouble in a 6-1, 6-2 win over Estrella Cabeza Candela. Cornet piled up seven breaks in eight receiving games. Pervak, who draws Cornet in Saturday's semifinals, beat Cornet in straight sets in the first round of the Gastein Ladies last year in their only previous meeting. Wickmayer and Minella will be playing each other for the first time.