Qualifier Mona Barthel beat defending champion Jarmila Gajdosova of Australia 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 on Thursday to move into the semifinals at the Hobart International.
Barthel, who ousted second-seeded Anabel Medina Garrigues in the second round, will next meet fellow German Angelique Kerber.
Kerber, who finished with a year-end No. 32 ranking after reaching the U.S. Open semifinals, advanced with a 6-0, 3-6, 7-5 win over Romania's Sorana Cirstea.
Top-seeded Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium reached the semifinals with a 6-4, 6-0 win over Simona Halep of Romania and will next play sixth-seeded Shahar Peer of Israel.
Peer advanced when Anna Chakvetadze had to retire from their semifinal in the third set with severe cramping. Chakvetadze won the first set 6-4, but lost the second set 6-4 and needed treatment at the break. She quit when she was down 1-0 in the third.
