Top seed Caroline Wozniacki has overcome fifth-seeded German Angelique Kerber in three sets to reach the semi-finals of the Pan-Pacific Open tennis tournament in Tokyo.
Wozniacki saved five break points in the fifth game of the deciding set on Friday before clinching the match 6-2 2-6 6-3 in two hours and 12 minutes.
The Danish former world No.1 said "that was a long game, and holding that definitely gave me some confidence".
She will next play Switzerland's Belinda Bencic, who defeated third-seeded Garbine Muguruza of Spain 7-6 (7-1) 6-1.
Bencic, seeded No.8, saved three straight break points in the fourth game of the second set to hold for a 3-1 lead and swept the next three games to close out the win.
The rising Swiss star had accounted for Australia's Samantha Stosur in a lengthy three-setter in the second round.
In other quarter-final action, seventh-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland defeated Czech Karolina Pliskova (4) 7-5 6-2.
In the remaining last-eight showdown, Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia upset second seed Ana Ivanovic of Serbia 7-6 (7-5) 6-3.
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