Top-seeded Beck falls to Jovanovski in Tashkent Open quarters
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan -- Top-seeded Annika Beck was eliminated in the Tashkent Open quarterfinals, losing to Bojana Jovanovski 2-6, 7-5, 6-3 Thursday as four unseeded players reached the semifinals.
Beck lost only two points on her serve in the first set, but Jovanovski's return improved for the remainder of the match.
The loss ended Beck's bit for a second WTA title in two weeks after her victory in Quebec City last month.
Jovanovski will next face Nao Hibino of Japan, who beat Ukrainian qualifier Kateryna Kozlova 6-3, 6-3.
Fourth-seeded Johanna Larsson of Sweden, the last seeded player left in the draw, was beaten 6-3, 5-7, 6-0 by Russia's Evgenia Rodina.
Rodina served for the match in the second set while leading 5-4, but was twice broken by Larsson. However, the Swedish player then failed to win a game in the deciding set, winning just six of 20 points on serve.
In the semifinals Friday, Rodina meets Donna Vekic of Croatia, who beat German player Anna-Lena Friedsam 3-6, 6-3, 7-5.
