Kerber marches on in Sydney, Muller beaten

Germany's Angelique Kerber won a seventh straight match as she steamed into the semifinals of the Sydney International on Thursday boosting her confidence for next week's Australian Open.

Kerber, who began last year as No.1 before finishing at No.22, continued her 2018 resurgence with a thumping 6-3, 6-1 win over Slovakia Dominika Cibulkova. The German will meet Italian qualifier and world No.100 Camila Giorgi, who upset Poland's former world No.2 Agnieszka Radwanska 6-1, 6-2.

Kerber, who knocked out Venus Williams in her opening match in Sydney, said she was not yet back to her best form of 2016 when she won the Australian and US Opens.

The other semifinal will be an all-Australian affair between Ashleigh Barty and Daria Gavrilova. Barty, ranked 19th, cruised past Barbora Strycova 6-3, 6-2, while 25th-ranked Gavrilova had direct passage to the last four when Spain's Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza withdrew after her win over Kiki Bertens with a thigh injury.

Defending champion Gilles Muller was knocked out of the Sydney International men's event by unseeded Frenchman Benoit Paire 6-4, 6-4.

The 42nd-ranked Paire will meet rising young Australian star Alex de Minaur, who downed Spain's Feliciano Lopez in the night match, 6-4, 6-4. Paire sent down 17 aces against the world No. 25 to advance to his second semifinal in a week, after reaching the last four in India.

Italian fourth seed Fabio Fognini set up a semifinal against qualifier Daniil Medvedev following a 7-6 (7-4), 6-7 (7-4), 6-2 marathon against Frenchman Adrian Mannarino. Medvedev is eyeing off his first career title after toppling veteran Italian Paulo Lorenzi 6-3, 6-3.Watson to meet

Mertens in semis

Former champion Heather Watson capitalized on a fast start to race away from Donna Vekic and set up a semifinal encounter against last year's winner Elise Mertens at the Hobart International on Thursday.

Watson needed to register two wins just to make the main draw but the Briton staved off her Croatian opponent's late charge to prevail 6-0, 6-4 in the quarterfinal contest.

Meanwhile, the repeat of last year's title showdown failed to materialize after losing 2017 finalist Monica Niculescu of Romania pulled out with a neck injury, allowing Belgium's Mertens to advance to the last four without hitting a ball.

Elsewhere, fifth seed Lesia Tsurenko ended Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka's strong run with a 6-1, 6-1 triumph to also secure a place in the last four. The Ukrainian advances to meet Romania's Mihaela Buzarnescu, who secured the last semifinal berth with a 7-6(7-5) 6-1 win over American Alison Riske.

Bouchard puts pain

behind her for win

Struggling star Eugenie Bouchard won her first match of the year Thursday, posting a 6-2, 6-0 defeat of Australian teen Destanee Aiava at the Kooyong Classic in Melbourne.

The Canadian had gone down in three group matches last week at the Hopman Cup in Perth, where she suffered a buttock injury, and was eliminated in the first round at Hobart on Monday, denting her Australian Open preparations.

Bouchard, who made the Australian Open semifinals in 2015 and the quarters a year later, said her game was a work in progress after changing her routine and coaches in the off-season. The Canadian, who said her buttock injury was now fine, added that she was keen to eliminate all memories of a poor 2017 campaign.

In other matches at the exhibition event, France's Richard Gasquet won his second match, overcoming Australian Matthew Ebden 6-4, 7-6 (7-4). Gasquet, who has never gone past the Australian Open fourth round, said: "I'll keep up the training. I have no injuries and am feeling great."

World No. 5 Dominic Thiem, meanwhile, withdrew from his scheduled match as he recovers from illness, disrupting his Grand Slam plans. The Austrian arrived late in Melbourne from Doha after pulling out prior to last weekend's Qatar Open semifinal with Gael Monfils after contracting a virus. He lost in straight sets to Novak Djokovic on Wednesday and decided against playing any more matches.

Thiem's substitute, Russian Andrey Rublev, beat Lucas Pouille of France 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.

Del Potro sets up

Auckland semifinal

Juan Martin del Potro kept his Australian Open preparations on track with a 7-6(7-4), 6-3 win over Russia's Karen Khachanov in the Auckland Classic on Thursday, setting up a semifinal meeting with David Ferrer.

Former US Open champion Del Potro fired down 11 aces and did not face a break point during the one hour, 33 minutes match. Waiting for Del Potro in the last four will be Spaniard Ferrer, who brushed aside ATP NextGen Finals champion Chung Hyeon of South Korea 6-3, 6-2.

Ferrer's countryman Roberto Bautista Agut will play Dutchman Robin Haase in the other semifinal. The 2016 champion Bautista Agut defeated Czech Jiri Vesely 7-6(7-1), 6-2 in the last eight while Hasse beat Peter Gojowczyk of Germany 6-4, 6-4. — Agencies