INDIAN WELLS, Calif. -- Maria Kirilenko outlasted No. 5 seed Petra Kvitova 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in searing heat to reach the semifinals of the BNP Paribas Open for the first time.
Playing in temperatures that topped an unseasonable 90 degrees on Wednesday, Kirilenko improved to 6-0 in three-set matches this year. Seeded 13th, the Russian is playing her first tournament since mid-February when she retired with a right shoulder injury in the first round at Doha.
Of the eight women's quarterfinalists, none has spent more time on court than Kirilenko, whose total match time approached nearly eight hours before her latest match. All four of her matches at Indian Wells have gone three sets.
On the men's side, No. 8 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga outlasted No. 17 Milos Raonic 4-6, 7-5, 6-4, and Kevin Anderson defeated No. 13 Giles Simon 6-3, 1-6, 6-4.
