SYDNEY: Tsvetana Pironkova’s stretched her Sydney International winning streak to 14 matches with a straight sets victory over Barbora Zahlavova Strycova to reach the semifinals on Wednesday.

The Bulgarian, who again had to fight her way through qualifying to reach the main draw, ousted the world No.25 Czech 6-4, 6-1.

It continued an amazing run at the tournament by the Bulgarian world No.67, who was a shock winner in 2014 after battling through the three rounds of qualifying to beat Germany’s Angelique Kerber in her eighth match at Sydney Olympic Park.

Pironkova, 27, has once again had to do things the hard way to reach the last four after coming through qualifying to reach the main draw.

“I’m super excited. To be honest, I didn’t really believe that I could go this far again because I had to start from quallies again,” Pironkova said.

“It’s obviously a very hard thing to do considering the quallies nowadays is not like it was 20 years ago.

“It’s also a very strong tournament. So I’m incredibly happy that I’m here today winning again, so I will just try to do it again,” she said.

Pironkova said as the defending champion she was annoyed not to receive a wildcard into the main draw of the tournament.

“I was hoping that I would get. I applied but obviously didn’t get it,” she said.

“I was a bit disappointed about that. Not a bit, a lot disappointed obviously.”

Last year’s win in Sydney is the only WTA success of Pironkova’s career.

Pironkova now faces two-time Wimbledon champion and second seed Petra Kvitova in a repeat of their semifinal match-up last year which the Bulgarian won.

Kvitova fought back to oust Australia’s Jarmila Gajdosova 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in a night match.

World No.22 Karolina Pliskova also won through to the semifinals after seeing off Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0.

The 22-year-old from the Czech Republic now faces Angelique Kerber for a place in Saturday’s final.

Kerber, who had an early morning finish in the previous second round, recovered to overcome Spaniard Garbine Muguruza 0-6, 6-1, 6-4.

Seeds tumble

The Auckland Open continued to lose its main drawcards Wednesday as Spain’s Tommy Robredo pulled out with an injury and top seed Ernests Gulbis was eliminated by a qualifier.

Robredo became the fourth seeded player to withdraw from the warm-up event for next week’s Australian Open without hitting a ball, saying he had strained a muscle in the gym.

“I wouldn’t be able to play good and the people would be disappointed, also it could make me worse for next week,” the world number 17 said.

“It’s sad for me... but sometimes it is what it is.”

Robredo joins world number 10 David Ferrer (back strain), defending champion John Isner (tiredness), French livewire Gael Monfils (personal reasons) in quitting the tournament.

The remaining seeds fared little better on the court, with world number 13 Gulbis of Latvia-- the top ranked player in Ferrer’s absence — succumbing 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 to Czech qualifier Jiri Vesely.

The tournament also lost world number 15 Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain, who only managed to play 40 minutes before retiring hurt, giving Frenchman Adrian Mannarino a 6-2, 2-1 armchair ride to the quarter-finals.

Last year’s finalist Lu Yen-Hsun of Taiwan departed after a meek 6-2, 6-4 loss to Albert Ramos of Spain.

Big-serving South African Kevin Anderson is the only top 20 player left in the draw after he beat Jan-Lennard Struff of Germany 7-6 (8/6), 6-1.