Andrea Petkovic will take on Monica Niculescu on Saturday for a place in the final of the China Open

You can watch and bet on the action from the WTA Beijing Open at bet365

Andrea Petkovic kept her title hopes alive in Beijing on Friday by beating Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in a close two setter. Despite winning the first set fairly well, the German had to dig deep in order to eventually secure a 6-3, 7-6(2) success. She will now face Monica Niculescu on Saturday for the right to compete in the final.

Niculescu has surprised many by getting this far. This will be her first semi-final appearance at this level. After clinching a shock 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Maria Kirilenko, the Romanian stated, “I'm so happy I can't find the words to describe my feelings now”

“In the end it was like a dream come true. It's just unbelievable for me to be in the semifinals after coming through the qualifying - it's my best result and I believe it's good for me for next year because I'll be stronger and more confident."

Niculescu will take a 2-0 head to head lead against Petkovic into this contest. The pairing haven’t met since 2006 though, so this is likely to count for nothing. Petkovic is the favourite here, and Niculescu could be in for a struggle.

You can watch & bet on the action from the WTA Beijing Open at bet365 > tennis > live streaming