Ivanovic powers into semifinals in Tokyo

TOKYO - Serbian No. 1 Ana Ivanovic advanced to the semifinals of the WTA tournament in Tokyo, after defeating Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic in straight sets (6-3, 6-2) on Friday.

Safarova could not keep up with the third-seeded Ivanovic, who played at a consistent level throughout the match.

Ivanovic will next play for a spot in the final against top seed Angelique Kerber of Germany, who beat Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova 6-3, 6-0.

Photo Tanjug, M. Jelesijevic (archive)