By Clare Fallon
EASTBOURNE, England (Reuters) - Teen-ager Caroline Wozniacki became the only women's seed to survive as far as the semi-finals of the Eastbourne International Thursday.
The sixth-seeded Dane produced a display of efficient and drama-free tennis to beat Russian qualifier Ekaterina Makarova 6-3 6-2 in under an hour on Devonshire Park's Center Court.
Holder Agnieszka Radwanska, seeded eighth, was beaten 7-6 7-5 by Frenchwoman Virginie Razzano, who also knocked out top seed Elena Dementieva Wednesday.
Wozniacki, who was Wimbledon junior champion in 2006, will meet Canadian Aleksandra Wozniak or Russian qualifier Vera Dushevina in Friday's semi-finals.
"I love coming back on grass every year and even though it is only a short period of time that we play on grass I feel like I am adapting really fast," said the 18-year-old Wozniacki, whose parents hail from Poland.
Wozniacki, making her fifth appearance at Eastbourne after starting out in the junior tournament here, said it was not just the grass she liked in the seaside resort.
"They have the best ice cream shop right around the corner and every year we go there," she told reporters. "If I win I let myself eat one, if I don't I feel I don't deserve one."
On that basis, Poland's Radwanska, Wozniacki's good friend and fellow ice-cream lover, would have been going hungry on Thursday after failing to find the killer touch in her quarter-final against Razzano.
The 11th-ranked Radwanska broke Razzano, the world number 25, as the Frenchwoman served for the match at 5-3 and fended off three matchpoints with solid serving in the following game.
In the 12th game, however, she allowed her opponent to race to 0-40 and hit a forehand short to give Razzano victory.
"I played a tough match yesterday night and we finished very late and today was another tough match," Razzano said in a court-side interview.
Told she would next face compatriot Marion Bartoli, who beat Spain's Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-1 6-4, the Frenchwoman laughed.
"I know everything about her," said Razzano. "She is a special girl. I need to be careful about everything because she can do everything."
(Editing by Tony Jimenez)
Source: Reuters
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