Anna Bondar vs Elena Gabriela Ruse — QF — Korea Open

Anna Bondar is into the Korea Open semifinals, beating fourth seed Elena Gabriela Ruse 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 in a quarterfinal in which holding serve was the hard part for both. The pair were broken 16 times in 25 games: Bondar held five of her 13 service games, Ruse four of 12. The opening set began with six consecutive breaks, games one through six, before Bondar took it 6-4. Ruse then put together the steadiest passage of the match, winning 90 percent of her first-serve points in the second set and breaking four times to level. The third set turned back on the Ruse serve. Bondar broke in games one, three and five to lead 4-1, and Ruse double-faulted five times in the set, 13 across the match. Ruse saved one match point before Bondar closed it out after two hours and 24 minutes. Ruse arrived as the higher-ranked player, WTA No. 65 to Bondar's No. 69, and the betting market favored her at 62 percent. Bondar, a clay-court baseliner by background, has held 69 percent of her hard-court service games this season. This was her third straight three-setter in Seoul.