Jill Craybas

Caroline Wozniacki had a breakthrough summer, winning her first two titles, cracking the world's Top 20 and reaching the second week of the US Open, where she pushed Jelena Jankovic to three before falling. She cooled off somewhat in the first few weeks of the fall season, losing first round in her first two events, but this week at the AIG Japan Open she rekindled her summer magic in a big way, storming to her third Sony Ericsson WTA Tour singles title of the year (and of her career).
 

Caroline Wozniacki got to within one step away from her third Sony Ericsson WTA Tour singles title of the year while Kaia Kanepi is now a step away from the first of her career, after both women moved through to the final of the AIG Japan Open in straight sets on Saturday.
 

It was a mixed day for the seeds at the AIG Japan Open on Tuesday, with 18-year-old Caroline Wozniacki storming back from a set down to defeat Gisela Dulko in three, and Zheng Jie falling easily to Russian 17-year-old Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. No.6 seed Shahar Peer also advanced, but at the expense of crowd favorite Kimiko Data Krumm.
 

The Sony Ericsson WTA Tour returns to Tokyo this week for one of its most enduring events, the AIG Japan Open, which was first held in 1972. All eight seeds in the 32-strong field are ranked in the Top 40, with Danish phenom Caroline Wozniacki leading the way. Another star attraction is Kimiko Date Krumm, whose status as four-time champion can only be a good omen as she pursues her intriguing comeback to top flight tennis after a 12 year break.
 

Maria Kirilenko claimed her place in the semi-finals of the Korea Open at the expense of fifth seed Pauline Parmentier on Friday.
 
The top-seeded Russian eased to a 6-3 6-2 victory over her French opponent to set up a last-four meeting with Estonia's Kaia Kanepi.
 
Third seed Kanepi was also a comfortable winner on Friday, beating Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium 6-1 6-4.
 
Jill Craybas and Samantha Stosur will contest the other semi-final after wins in their respective last-eight matches.
 

Shahar Peer's mercurial year took another disappointing turn in the quarterfinals of the Hansol Korea Open on Friday, as the No.2 seed was bundled out of the tournament in straight sets by Jill Craybas. Top seed Maria Kirilenko and No.3 seed Kaia Kanepi both advanced to the last four without losing a set, however, as did unseeded Samantha Stosur.
 

Unlike the bottom half of the draw at the Hansol Korea Open, where Shahar Peer is the sole seed left at the quarterfinal stage, three of the top half's four seeds made their designated last eight slots on Thursday. Only No.8 Chan Yung-Jan failed to win her second round match, falling to Belgian 18-year-old Yanina Wickmayer in straight sets.
 

All four singles matches on Wednesday's schedule at the Hansol Korea Open were completed before rain set in, although doubles matches had to be abandoned. Among those who passed their second round tests at the Tier IV event was Shahar Peer, who was the only seed in action and is also the last one left in the bottom half of the draw.
 

Following the script, three of the Top 4 seeds advanced to the semifinals of the TOE Life Ceramics Guangzhou International Women's Open on Friday. Russia's Vera Zvonareva and Chinese stars Zheng Jie and Peng Shuai are joined in the penultimate round by France's Camille Pin.
 

Three seeds, including two Chinese stars, progressed to their designated quarterfinal slots at the TOE Life Ceramics Guangzhou International Women's Open on Thursday, to be joined by unseeded Frenchwoman Camille Pin. But in two upsets, one of them perhaps not-so-surprising, both No.5 seed Gisela Dulko and No.7 seed Pauline Parmentier fell to 17-year-old opponents.