Auckland, Jan 8 (DPA) Top seed Flavia Pennetta moved closer to victory of her ninth career title as she put out Italian compatriot Francesca Schiavone 6-3, 6-0 Friday at the ASB Classic.
The world number 12 who picked up two trophies in 2009 is to face off against Belgium’s US Open semi-finalist Yanina Wickmayer, the third seed who dispatched Israeli Shahar Peer 6-4, 7-5.

Pennetta needed a brief 56 minutes - the quickest match of the week - to dismiss her Fed Cup team-mate and doubles partner. Wickmayer holds a 1-0 edge over Pennetta, with a victory on indoor hard court at Linz last year.

Wickmayer’s match was delayed for an hour by rain.

But once the weather cleared, it was all business for the Belgian who only last month needed a court ruling to reverse a one-year ban from the game administered for missing three anti-doping appointments in 2009.

“It’s been a really tough time for me, but I have been mentally strong on the court until now.”

The Belgian was glad to go through but knows she will have to lift her game for Saturday’s final.

“I’m very happy, but I didn’t play my best tennis today. I made a lot of mistakes, especially at the beginning of the second set.

“But I kept fighting each point and improving. By the end of the second set, I was playing well.”