Kuznetsova reaches semis in Kremlin Cup

Moscow - Top-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova beat ninth-seeded Hungarian Timea Babos 7-5, 6-7 (2), 6-2 in the quarter-finals of the Kremlin Cup on Thursday to remain on course to claim the final spot in the WTA Finals.

Kuznetsova will qualify for next week's eight-player finals in Singapore only if she wins the Moscow tournament.

Otherwise, the place will go to Britain's Johanna Konta.

The Russian jumped to a 3-0 lead over Babos in the final set and converted on her first match point.

In the semifinals, Kuznetsova will meet fourth-seeded Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, who eased past Croatia's Ana Konjuh 6-1, 6-1.

In other quarter-final matches, Daria Gavrilova played seventh-seeded Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, and Daria Kasatkina faced Julia Goerges later on Thursday.

ATP/WTA Kremlin Cup results in Moscow on Thursday (x denotes seeding):

Men

2nd rd

Pablo Carreo-Busta (ESP x6) bt Damir Dzumhur (BIH) 6-3, 2-1 - retired

Daniil Medvedev (RUS) bt Viktor Troicki (SRB x4) 3-6, 6-3, 6-1

Thomaz Bellucci (BRA) bt Andrey Kuznetsov (RUS) 6-3, 3-6, 6-3

Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER x3) bt Dusan Lajovic (SRB) 7-5, 3-6, 6-3

Women

Quarter-finals

Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS x1) bt Timea Babos (HUN x9) 7-5, 6-7 (2/7), 6-2

Elina Svitolina (UKR x4) bt Ana Konjuh (CRO) 6-1, 6-1

Julia Goerges (GER) bt Darya Kasatkina (RUS x8) 7-5, 6-1