(April 27, 2012) She may have been an unknown quantity to some in Stuttgart at the start of this week's Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, but Mona Barthel left the court today with a standing ovation from the crowd who realized the young German is a star in the making.

Taking on top seed Victoria Azarenka for the fourth time this year, Barthel stayed level with the World No. 1 in the first set until at 4-all, Barthel literally double faulted away the game (she hit four double faults in five points) to give Azarenka the break which Azarenka then used to seal up the set 6-4 with a forehand winner.

After going down an early break in the second set, it appeared Azarenka might run away with the match. But undaunted and spurred on by the local crowd who clapped in rhythm every time Barthel stepped up to the line, Barthel broke back for 3-all and began to unleash winner after winner, sometimes with incredible angles. Despite Azarenka targeting Barthel's forehand that would sometimes produce errors at the wrong time, it was Barthel who surged ahead to claim the second set in a tiebreak.

After an exchange of breaks early in the third set, it was Azarenka who broke again to go up 4-2. But Barthel once again responded with more blistering winners to pull even at 4-all. Azarenka held serve and forced a match point against Barthel in the next game, but Barthel bombed a serve Azarenka couldn't handle to win the next point and eventually held for 5-all.

But that save from the German may have proved too much as, after Azarenka held for 6-5, Barthel seemed to lose momentum as a netted forehand from the German gave Azarenka three more match points at 0-40. The match ended when Barthel hit a final double fault to give Azarenka a 6-4, 6-7, 7-5 victory.

Despite hitting an astounding 62 winners and still losing, Barthel looked on the match as a learning experience.

"I can't be disappointed when I play such a close match against the number one." Barthel said. "I'm a little bit sad because it's the second time now I was so close to winning. Overall I'm happy I was able to play a match like this. It give me confidence and showed me I'm on the right way."
Azarenka will now face No. 4 seed Agnieszka Radwanska in the semifinals after she came back from a set and a break down versus Li Na to win 3-6, 6-2, 6-3.

The other semifinal will feature No. 2 seed Maria Sharapova, who came back from a match point down in the second set to defeat Sam Stosur 6-7, 7-6, 7-5, against No. 3 seed Petra Kvitova who defeated the last German woman in the draw, Angelique Kerber, 6-4, 6-4.