Pegula and Paul cruise into Adelaide semis, Navarro falls short

Top seeds Jessica Pegula and Tommy Paul advanced to the semi-finals of the Adelaide International on Thursday, both achieving victories in straight sets as they prepare for the upcoming Australian Open.

The American pair dominated their quarter-final matches, with Pegula overcoming a weary compatriot, Ashlyn Krueger, who retired while trailing 6-4, 2-0. Krueger, who entered the tournament as a lucky loser from qualifying, was feeling the strain of having played nine matches in the last 12 days across Brisbane and Adelaide.

World number seven Pegula, a finalist at last year's US Open, had partnered with Krueger in doubles earlier in the week and was aware of her partner's fatigue.

"It’s never enjoyable to win due to a retirement," remarked the 30-year-old, who is set to compete against either Yulia Putintseva or world number 13 Diana Shnaider for a spot in the final.

"I recognized she had a challenging singles match yesterday. However, you never know what to expect when you step onto the court; she was still delivering impressive tennis."

In a notable upset, Russia's Liudmila Samsonova secured her first victory over a top-10 player in over a year by defeating world number eight and second seed Emma Navarro with a score of 6-4, 6-4. Samsonova will next face either third seed Daria Kasatkina or Madison Keys.

On the men's side, Paul replicated his 2020 semi-final appearance in Adelaide by defeating Australian Rinky Hijikata 6-3, 6-4. He is now set to meet Canadian fifth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime, who triumphed over American Marcos Giron with a score of 7-6, 6-3.

"That’s a significant match," Paul stated, as he aims for his fifth ATP Tour title. "The more time I spend on the court, the better it is for me."

Serbia's Miomir Kecmanovic also advanced to the semi-finals, defeating French qualifier Benjamin Bonzi 6-2, 6-3. He will face American second seed Sebastian Korda, who received a walkover after Thanasi Kokkinakis of Australia withdrew from the tournament.