In the WTA 500 Merida Open Akron quarterfinals on Friday, No. 1 seed Emma Navarro ousted the defending champion, but No. 2 seed Paula Badosa retired due to injury.

Merida: Draws | Scores | Order of Play

World No. 10 Navarro of the United States eliminated Turkey's Zeynep Sonmez 6-4, 6-2 to clinch a spot in her first semifinal of the season. Navarro had posted two quarterfinal finishes earlier this year, including at the year's first Grand Slam, the Australian Open.

Navarro broke Sonmez's serve seven times consecutively to finish the encounter, snapping Sonmez's seven-match winning streak in Merida. Sonmez won the event when it was a WTA 250 last autumn, but she could not halt Navarro in her first-ever match against a Top 10 player.

Must See

Navarro will take on World No. 45 Elina Avanesyan of Armenia in Saturday's semifinals. Avanesyan reached her first WTA 500 semifinal with a 4-6, 6-2, 6-0 comeback over 18-year-old Australian qualifier Maya Joint on Friday.

Highlights: Avanesyan def. Joint

Navarro defeated Avanesyan 6-1, 6-2 in their only previous meeting, at Auckland last year.

Qualifier Arango rallies in Merida to make first career WTA semifinal

An all-qualifier semifinal will take place on the other side of the draw, which will be the first meeting between Daria Saville and Emiliana Arango.

Former Top 20 player Saville advanced after World No. 11 Badosa retired at 1-6, 5-3 in their quarterfinal, due to a lower back injury. Spain's Badosa swept through the first set but she was unfortunately hampered in the second set and ended the match prematurely.

Australian Saville will face Colombia's Arango for a spot in the final. Arango rallied into the semifinals with a 5-7, 6-3, 6-0 upset of 40th-ranked Rebecca Sramkova of Slovakia on Friday.

By virtue of her fourth career Top 50 win, 24-year-old Arango booked a spot in her first semifinal at Hologic WTA Tour-level. Arango had gone 0-3 in her previous tour-level quarterfinals, but she continues a strong 2025 with her latest victory.

When all tournament levels are included, Arango has prevailed in her last 10 matches, all coming in Mexico. Before her five victories this week (two in qualifying), she won her first career WTA 125 title in Cancun in her previous event.