Gavrilova beats Kerber in Hong Kong QF

Australia's Daria Gavrilova is into her first semi-final at a WTA event since 2015 after knocking world No.1 Angelique Kerber out of the Hong Kong tennis open.

Daria Gavrilova of Australia

Australia's Daria Gavrilova has reached the quarter-finals of the Hong Kong Open. (AAP)

Australian tennis player Daria Gavrilova sent world No.1 Angelique Kerber crashing out of Friday's quarter-finals at the Hong Kong tennis open.

Kerber was handed her 6-3 6-1 exit in 73 minutes of mistake-laden tennis, with the German occasionally scraping her racquet on the court in moments of frustration.

Gavrilova, 22, finished off her win at Victoria Park on the first of three match points as she fired down a serve which Kerber could not handle.

"I was not playing my best tennis, I know I can play better," Kerber, who admitted she felt some discomfort in a shoulder, said. "It's a long season and we play a lot of matches.

"I felt the shoulder but it's not an excuse. I was not serving my best. I had a lot more double-faults than is normal for my game."

Victory was the first in six meetings for Russian-born Australian eighth seed Gavrilova, who lost to Kerber last June in Birmingham on grass in their last meeting.

Gavrilova will compete in her first WTA semi-final since Rome in May, 2015, when she faces Kristina Mladenovic.

The Frenchwoman defeated American Bethanie Mattek-Sands 3-6 6-3 7-6 (7-3) in the second quarter-final.

Kerber will turn her focus to the year-end championships in just over a week in Singapore.

"I need a few days off, I'm tired and I need a lot of treatment to get ready for the next one," she said of the eight-woman season-ender.

Kerber suffered a surprise loss to Elina Svitolina in the round of 16 at last week's China Open.


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Source: AAP



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