OSAKA - Defending champion Samantha Stosur rolled into the semi-finals of the Japan Women’s Open on Friday with a clinical 6-4, 6-1 victory over Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan in the quarterfinal. The top-seeded Australian, who won the US Open title in 2011 and reached and career-high ranking fourth on WTA tour in the world, will face Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina in the last four after the number three seed blew away American Lauren Davis 6-2, 6-4. Fifth seed Zarina Diyas restored some Kazakh pride by battling to a 6-7, 6-4, 6-2 win over Croatia’s Ana Konjuh t book the last four place of the event. She will play Asian Games gold medallist Luksika Kumkhum in Saturday’s semi-finals after the Thai knocked out American Madison Keys, who retired hurt while trailing 6-2, 4-3.–AFP