Julia Riera of Argentina defeated Mexico’s Renata Zarazúa 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 on Wednesday to reach the semifinals of the WTA 125 tournament in Cali, Colombia, Infobae reported. The world No. 137 needed 2 hours and 10 minutes to get past Zarazúa, the second seed and No. 97 in the WTA rankings.
Zarazúa answered in kind in the second set: Riera again fell behind 0-4, and this time the Mexican held her advantage to win the set 6-1 and level the match. In the decider, Riera dropped serve early to go 0-1 down, but she broke in the second, fourth and sixth games, led 5-1, and after failing to close the match on her own serve, broke again in the next game to seal a 6-2 set and the victory.
¡¡TRIUNFAZO JULI!! 💪🕸️ ✅ Enorme victoria de Julia Riera🇦🇷 en Cali: venció a Renata Zarazúa🇲🇽 (#97) por 6-4, 1-6, 6-2. ¡La pergaminense jugará su séptima semifinal en este 2026! 🔜 Espera por Carole Monnet o Leyre Romero. pic.twitter.com/aDu16vrIEn
Seventh career Top-100 win for the Argentine
Riera, a 137th-ranked player from Pergamino, defeated the 97th-ranked Renata Zarazúa to reach the semifinals. The quarterfinal victory over the second seed followed straight-set wins over local wildcard Valentina Mediorreal, 6-1, 6-1 in one hour and one minute, and Austria’s Julia Grabher, 6-2, 6-4, earlier in the week, according to El Tiempo de Pergamino and Diario Núcleo respectively.
The tournament, officially the WTA 125 Cali – Reto Win 2026, is played on clay at Club Campestre de Cali and offers $115,000 in prize money, El Tiempo de Pergamino reported. Riera’s week in Colombia is not limited to singles: paired with Spain’s Irene Burillo Escorihuela, she also advanced in the doubles draw to face the team of Dalila Jakupovic of Slovenia and Nika Radisic of Croatia, Diario Núcleo reported.
Giovannini’s run ends against US Open champion Andreescu
Riera is now the only Argentine left in the singles draw. Compatriot Luisina Giovannini, ranked 191st, lost to Canada’s Bianca Andreescu, No. 109, 6-1, 6-3 in the quarterfinals, Infobae reported. Giovannini had won two matches earlier in the tournament, including a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Jazmín Ortenzi, ranked 180th, before her exit.
Andreescu, born in Mississauga, Canada, reached No. 4 in the world in 2019, the season in which she won the US Open by defeating Serena Williams in the final, Infobae noted. With Giovannini’s defeat, Riera became the last Argentine standing; Match Tenis went further, describing her as the only South American player remaining in the tournament.
Semifinal opponent: Spain’s Leyre Romero Gormaz
Riera will face Spain’s Leyre Romero Gormaz, ranked 131st, for a place in the final. Romero Gormaz defeated France’s Carole Monnet, ranked 194th, 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 in the quarterfinals, Infobae reported, and had earlier eliminated Argentina’s Solana Sierra 6-4, 6-1. The two semifinalists have never met before, and Romero Gormaz has dropped only one set all week, Match Tenis reported.
Riera’s 2026 form: six wins in her last seven matches
Match Tenis reported that Riera extended her strong run at Club Campestre de Cali to six victories in her last seven matches. The outlet described the semifinal as her sixth of the 2026 season, with three wins at that stage, while a social media post cited in the same report called it her seventh semifinal of the year — a discrepancy in how the count is framed, though the outlets agree on the result and the opponent.
Julia Riera’s Cali quarterfinal win: the key details
What was the score of Riera vs. Zarazúa?
Riera won 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 in 2 hours and 10 minutes, Infobae reported. She came back from 0-4 down in the first set, lost the second set 1-6 after another 0-4 start, and closed out the third 6-2 with breaks in the second, fourth and sixth games.
Who is Julia Riera’s next opponent at the WTA 125 in Cali?
Spain’s Leyre Romero Gormaz, ranked 131st. She beat Carole Monnet 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 to reach the semifinals, and the two players have never faced each other, according to Match Tenis.
How many Top-100 wins does Julia Riera have now?
Seven, Infobae reported. Before Zarazúa, she had beaten Sherif, Putintseva, Schmiedlova, Tomova, Alexandrova and Blinkova.
Is Julia Riera still playing doubles in Cali?
Yes. With Irene Burillo Escorihuela, she reached the doubles quarterfinals against Jakupovic and Radisic, Diario Núcleo reported.
Riera’s next confirmed checkpoint is the semifinal against Romero Gormaz, with a place in the Cali final on the line.
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