NUREMBERG, Germany (AP) Second-seeded Angelique Kerber reached the semifinals of the Nuremberg Cup with a comfortable 6-2, 6-3 defeat of Japanese qualifier Misaki Doi on Thursday.

The German next faces the fourth-seeded Roberta Vinci of Italy, who beat seventh-seeded Kurumi Nara of Japan 6-1, 1-6, 6-4.

Sixth-seeded Karin Knapp defeated Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan 6-2, 6-4 for a place in the other semifinal.

The Italian will play the the 98th-ranked Lara Arruabarrena of Spain, who beat the eighth-seeded Carina Witthoeft of Germany 6-0, 6-4 in the late quarterfinal.