Two-time finalist Camila Giorgi continued her bid to go one better at the WTA Katowice Open with a battling three-set win over Kirsten Flipkens in Friday's quarter-final.

Giorgi lost to Alize Cornet and Anna Karolina Schmiedlova respectively in the 2014 and 2015 finals, but the Italian edged closer to a third crack at the title with a 6-2 5-7 6-4 victory over Belgian Flipkens.

Fifth seed Giorgi was not always at her best and she hit six double faults throughout a contest that lasted two hours and 10 minutes, but she served out at the first time of asking after making a crucial break in game nine of the third set.

Jelena Ostapenko will be Giorgi's opponent in the semi-finals, the third seed also needing three sets to defeat Timea Babos 7-6 (7-3) 2-6 6-3.

On the other side of the draw, Pauline Parmentier was a 6-2 6-4 winner over home favourite Magda Linette and will face Dominika Cibulkova, who beat Francesca Schiavone 7-5 6-1.