FP – Samantha Stosur is eyeing her first semi-final in five months after recording a rare comeback win at the Indian Wells Masters.

Stosur possesses a poor record after dropping the first set but the 2011 US Open champion rallied for a morale-boosting 4-6 6-2 6-3 fourth-round win over rising German youngster Mona Barthel.

Victory vaulted Stosur into a quarter-final showdown on Thursday (Friday AEST) with another German, fourth seed Angelique Kerber.

Another win would propel Stosur into her first tour semi-final since losing to Caroline Wozniacki in the title match in Moscow last October.

Two women’s quarter-finals were scheduled for Wednesday, with Russian Maria Kirilenko outlasting Czech fifth seed Petra Kvitova 4-6 6-4 6-3 in searing heat to reach the semi-finals for the first time.

Kirilenko, seeded 13th, is playing her first tournament since mid-February when she retired with a right shoulder injury in the first round at Doha, but improved her record in three-set matches this year to 6-0.

Russian second seed Maria Sharapova and Italian sixth seed Sara Errani meet later on Wednesday in a rematch of last year’s French Open final.