Zapopan, Sep 14 (IANS): Camila Osorio of Colombia advanced to the semifinals of the Guadalajara Open, a WTA 500 tournament, after a gripping 7-6(6), 6-2 victory over Kamilla Rakhimova on Friday.

With this win, Osorio became the first Colombian player to reach the semifinals of a WTA 500 event, adding a historic milestone to her career.

The opening set was fiercely contested, with Osorio having to fend off a set point at 6-5 in the tiebreak. In a display of sheer determination, she ultimately secured the set after 62 minutes of intense play.

The second set saw a shift in momentum as Osorio, ranked World No.80, found her rhythm and took control of the match. Rakhimova, who had recently captured the title at a WTA 125 event in Guadalajara and was riding a seven-match winning streak, could not maintain her hot form against the relentless Colombian.

Osorio’s solid performance in the second set ended Rakhimova's impressive run and booked her place in the semifinals.

Earlier in the week, she faced a dramatic comeback in her second-round match against No.7 seed Veronika Kudermetova. Down 5-0 in the third set, Osorio showcased remarkable tenacity by winning seven consecutive games to secure her place in the quarterfinals.

This semifinal appearance is particularly significant for Osorio, who won her second title of the season in April by clinching the Bogota title on home soil.

As she heads into the semifinals, Osorio is just two victories away from adding another title to her impressive season. In the semifinals, Osorio will have her first meeting with qualifier Olivia Gadecki. Australian 22-year-old Gadecki continued her breakthrough week at tour level with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 quarterfinal victory over former Top 20 player Martina Trevisan of Italy.