Nuremberg - Second-seeded Angelique Kerber has reached the semi-finals of the Nuremberg Cup with a comfortable 6-2, 6-3 defeat of Japanese qualifier Misaki Doi on Thursday.
The German next faces the fourth-seeded Roberta Vinci of Italy, who beat seventh-seeded Kurumi Nara of Japan 6-1, 1-6, 6-4.
Sixth-seeded Karin Knapp defeated Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan 6-2, 6-4 for a place in the other semi-final.
The Italian was awaiting the winner between the eighth-seeded Carina Witthoeft of Germany and Lara Arruabarrena of Spain, playing in the late quarter-final Thursday.