Top seeds Nalbandian, Pennetta reach Mexican Open semifinals
ACAPULCO, Mexico -- Top seeds David Nalbandian and Flavia Pennetta advanced to the semifinals of the Mexican Open clay-court tournament Thursday.
Nalbandian, coming off a victory Sunday in Buenos Aires, beat eighth-seeded Potito Starace 6-3, 6-3, breaking the Italian three times and saving three break points.
Nalbandian will face Peru's Luis Horna, a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 winner over Argentina's Agustin Calleri. In the other quarterfinals, sixth-seeded Nicolas Almagro of Spain beat Chile's Nicolas Massu 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 and Argentina's Jose Acasuso edged Spain's Marcel Granollers-Pujol 7-6 (2), 6-3.
On the women's side, Pennetta notched her 300th win on the WTA Tour, beating eighth-seeded Edina Gallovits of Romania 7-6 (4), 6-1.
Pennetta has reached the Acapulco final every year since 2004 and won in 2005. In the semifinals, she'll play No. 7 Kaia Kanepi of Estonia. Pennetta beat Kanepi two weeks ago in the Vina del Mar quarterfinals en route to her fifth WTA title.
Kanepi edged Sorana Cirstea of Romania 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (6) despite 10 double faults.
In the other quarterfinals, second-seeded Alize Cornet of France beat the Ukraine's Mariya Koryttseva 6-4, 6-0 and Jill Craybas defeated Iveta Benesova of the Czech Republic 6-4, 6-1.
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
