Li and Rybarikova to compete for AEGON Classic title

In today's Birmingham semifinals, 4th seed Li Na defeated Maria Sharapova 6-4, 6-4, and 13th seed Magdalena Rybarikova defeated Sania Mirza 3-6, 6-0, 6-3.

Kateryna Bondarenko won the tournament last year.

In doubles, 4th seeds Raquel Kops-Jones and Abigail Spears defeated Francesca Schiavone and Roberta Vinci 6-1, 7-6, and top seeds and defending champions Cara Black and Liezel Huber defeated number 3 seeds Chuang Chia-Jung and Sania Mirza, 7-5, 6-3.

Lisicki and Cirstea to play in Tashkent final

Magdelena Rybarikova did not get the birthday present she would have liked today. She had to retire in her semifinal match in Tashkent against Sorana Cirstea. Rybarikova has been ill all week, and I assume her retirement occurred because of her illness. And on her twentieth birthday--too bad. Cirstea will play Sabine Lisicki in the final. Lisicki defeated Peng Shuai, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4.

A sick Rybarikova gets through to the semifinals

Magdelena Rybarikova says she has not been well lately, and has lost over ten pounds. Nevertheless, she won her Tashkent quarterfinal against Ioana Olaru in straight sets. In the quarterfinals, she will play Sorana Cirstea, who defeated Michelle Larcher de Brito, also in straight sets.

The other semifinal will feature Peng Shuai, who defeated Monica Niculescu in the quarterfinals, and Sabine Lisicki, who defeated Urzula Radwanska.