MADRID, SPAIN (TICKER) -- The home-court advantage was evident Thursday at the Madrid Open tennis event as four Spaniards, led by five-time champion Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, moved into the semifinals.
Sanchez-Vicario, seeded second, advanced to her first semifinal here since 1997 by dumping sixth seed Lisa Raymond of the United States, 6-3, 6-4.
Unseeded Maria Jose Martinez set up an all-Spanish semifinal encounter with Sanchez-Vicario by upending third seed Sandrine Testud of France, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4.
The 18-year-old Martinez took American Venus Williams to three sets in the first round of this year's Australian Open.
Eighth seed Angeles Montolio reached her third semifinal in the claycourt season by downing Rossana de los Rios of Paraguay, 7-5, 6-4. Montolio has won claycourt events at Estoril, Portugal and Bol, Croatia.
On Wednesday, de los Rios upended top seed Monica Seles of the United States in straight sets.
Montolio's semifinal opponent will be unseeded compatriot Ana Isabel Medina Garrigues, who eliminated seventh seed and fellow Spaniard Magui Serna, 6-4, 6-4.
Sanchez-Vicario won this event in 1989-90 and 1993-95 when it was held in her hometown of Barcelona. The former world No. 1 is seeded 12th at the French Open, which begins Monday in Paris.
First prize is $27,000.
