Top-seeded Alexandra Dulgheru and second-seeded Akgul Amanmuradova were upset in the quarterfinals of the Tashkent Open on Thursday.
The fifth-seeded Monica Niculescu beat Dulgheru in an all-Romanian match 7-6 (5), 2-6, 6-3, while local favorite Amanmuradova, a two-time runner-up, was ousted by seventh-seeded Alla Kudryavtseva of Russia 7-6 (5), 6-3.
Niculescu reached her first career semifinals on her third attempt here - she lost in the quarterfinals in the two previous seasons. Niculescu broke decisively in the sixth game of the third set.
Kudryavtseva is coming off a runner-up effort in Guangzhou, China on Sunday. She rallied against Amanmuradova from 5-2 down in the first-set tiebreaker to win it.
In Friday's semifinals, Niculescu will face fourth-seeded Elena Vesnina of Russia, who eliminated Darya Kustova of Belarus 6-0, 6-1, while Kudryavtseva will play fellow Russian Evgeniya Rodina.
Vesnina, who has yet to win a title, won in 49 minutes and hasn't dropped a set. She was a runner-up in Istanbul in July.
Rodina reached her first career semifinals with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-0 win over Stefanie Voegele of Switzerland.
''It was a difficult match and we both played our best,'' said Rodina, who also reached quarterfinals here in 2005. ''This is my best presentation on the WTA Tour so far.''
