 Werdel had also beaten Sabatini two years earlier at a tournament in Japan.After she had disposed of Sabatini, Werdel continued to work her way through the draw beating Park Sung-hee, Elena Makarova, Barbara Paulus and Angélica Gavaldón en route to a semifinal encounter with the top-seed and World No.1 Arantxa Sánchez Vicario.