Script:

Ana Ivanovic kept her late bid for a place at the WTA Finals on track with a straight sets quarterfinal victory over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova at the China Open.

At the start of the week, sixth seed Ivanovic, knew that anything other than reaching the final would leave her out of the running for Singapore.

A 6-3, 7-5 win kept that dream alive and sets up a semi-final showdown with fellow Finals hopeful Timea Bacsinszky.

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Meanwhile, Garbine Muguruza withstood a late fightback from Bethanie Mattek-Sands to join Ivanovic in the last four in Beijing.

At a set and 5-2 ahead, Muguruza appeared to be sailing towards the semi-final, but in the end had to negotiate a choppy final few games before ultimately prevailing, 6-1, 7-5.

In the semi-finals, Muguruza, who is bidding to win her first title of 2015, will face the in-form Agnieszka Radwanska.