Mallorca Open 2019: Angelique Kerber overcomes Caroline Garcia scare to secure semi-final place with straight-sets win

Reigning Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber continued her build-up to the grass-court Grand Slam as she beat sixth seed Caroline Garcia 6-3 7-6(5) to reach the semi-finals of the Mallorca Open on Friday. The 31-year-old German, seeking a first title of the year, again showed no sign of the ankle injury that dogged her clay-court season as she ended Garcia’s seven-match winning run. [caption id=“attachment_6863131” align=“alignleft” width=“385”] Kerber will take on world number 13 Belinda Bencic. Image courtesy: Twitter @MallorcaOpen[/caption] She will take on world number 13 Belinda Bencic after she got the better of American teenager Amanda Anisimova. “The first time (on grass) is very special because you wait all year to get on the grass again,” Bencic said after her 6-2 6-2 victory. “I feel like with every match, you figure out more what works on grass and what doesn’t.” Latvian second seed Anastasija Sevastova maintained her remarkable record at the grass-court tournament as she thrashed China’s Yafan Wang for the loss of three games, 6-2 6-1. Sevastova has reached the final on all three editions of the Santa Ponsa event, winning the title in 2017. In the semis, she will face Belgium’s Elise Mertens who won a three-setter against American Sofia Kenin.