HONG KONG - Sixth seed Yuan Yue reached the semifinals of the WTA Hong Kong Open by defeating former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin in straight sets on Friday.

Yuan, ranked 45th in the world, beat the American 6-3, 6-3 in one hour and 20 minutes.

ALSO READ: WTA roundup: Leylah Fernandez reaches Hong Kong quarters

She will next take on either British number one Katie Boulter or Russia's Anastasia Zakharova.

Kenin, who won the Australian Open in 2020, has fallen to 88th in the world rankings. She came into the match following a loss to Zheng Qinwen in the WTA 500 Tokyo final and appeared to struggle with a thigh injury, competing with a protective bandage.

READ MORE: China's Yuan Yue advances to quarterfinals of WTA Hong Kong Open

"I knew my opponent played very well last week, but she wasn't at her best today due to injury," Yuan said after the match.

READ MORE: WTA roundup: Yuan Yue rallies to win in Hong Kong

"I felt I could perform well, and although there were some ups and downs during the match, I played better than in my previous match. I hope to continue this form into the next round." Yuan rallied from a set down to defeat Japan's Nao Hibino in her previous match.