Elena Gabriela Ruse advanced to the semifinals of the Bad Homburg Open on Thursday. The Romanian qualifier defeated Emma Navarro 6-4, 6-2 in the quarterfinals.
Ruse started the tournament in qualifying and has continued her strong run on grass. She earlier knocked out Linda Noskova, the recent Berlin champion, and Anna Kalinskaya.
Navarro, ranked higher, had been playing well but could not match Ruse’s level in this match. Ruse broke serve at key moments and held her own serve throughout.
The win puts Ruse into the final four of the WTA 500 event. She will face the winner of the other quarterfinal matchup next. Ruse’s performance shows the depth in the draw and the opportunities for players coming through qualifying.