Suarez Navarro prevails in Birmingham double-header

Three of the players to reach the semis had to complete two matches on Friday amid a rain-affected tournament in Birmingham, with six sets apiece required to decide Suarez Navarro and Kerber's respective fates.

Carla Suarez Navarro in action.

Carla Suarez Navarro came through an Aegon Classic double-header to reach the semi-finals at the expense of a tired Anqelique Kerber.

Three of the players to reach the semis had to complete two matches on Friday amid a rain-affected tournament in Birmingham, with six sets apiece required to decide Suarez Navarro and Kerber's respective fates. Having beaten Andrea Petkovic 4-6 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-5), Suarez Navarro overcame Kerber – herself an earlier 5-7 6-2 6-2 winner over Daria Gavrilova – 6-4 1-6 7-5.

The Spaniard now faces Madison Keys in the last four, the American – who had just the one match to contend with – defeating Jelena Ostapenko 6-7 (1-7) 6-4 6-2.

Barbora Strycova faces Coco Vandeweghe in the other semi-final, the Czech seeing off Heather Watson and Tsvetana Pironkova in straight sets. Vandeweghe had beaten Christina McHale, before dumping out Wickmayer, who in turn had ousted home hope Johanna Konta.