By Chris Oddo | Friday April 7, 2017

 

Angelique Kerber dispatched Heather Watson in Monterrey to set up a semifinal with Carla Suarez Navarro

Photo Source: Abierto Afirme Monterrey .

Angelique Kerber is closing in on her first final of the season after taking out Great Britain’s Heather Watson, 6-4, 6-4, on Friday in Monterrey.

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The World No.1 improved her record to 15-7 on the season and reached her second semifinal of the season, but the German has a lot of improving to do against the Top 50. Kerber has gone 2-7 against the Top 50 and 0-6 against the Top 35, but she’ll get her chance to reverse her fortunes in that department when she meets World No.25 and No.4 seed Carla Suarez Navarro on Saturday.

The Spaniard entered the tournament with a 1-4 record but has reeled off three in a row. On Friday she crushed No.7-seeded Alizé Cornet, 6-1, 6-1, to reach her first semifinal of the year.

The top four seeds have all reached the semifinals in Monterrey this year. No.2-seeded Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova battled past Timea Babos, 6-2, 3-6, 7-5, fighting back from a break down in the third set to book her spot in the last four.

The three-time champion will face No.3-seeded Caroline Garcia in the semis. Garcia has reached the semis in each of the last three years. She was the runner-up in Monterrey in 2015, losing to Timea Bacsinszky in the final.