Woods eases into semis at Match Play Championship

By Mark Lamport-Stokes

MARANA, Arizona (Reuters) - Tiger Woods stayed on course for a sixth tournament victory in a row by comfortably beating South Korea's K.J. Choi 3&2 in Saturday's quarter-finals at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship.

The American world number one, champion at La Costa in 2003 and 2004, chipped in to eagle the par-five 10th before sealing the win with a regulation par on the 16th green.

Woods, who needed 20 holes to scrape past Australia's Aaron Baddeley in the previous round, will meet holder Henrik Stenson in the last four, the big-hitting Swede having come from two down after six holes to beat American Woody Austin two up.

It was the 10th successive match won at the event by Stenson, who became the second European to win the coveted title with a 2&1 victory over Australia's Geoff Ogilvy in last year's final.

"I had some good putts today and thought I was going to be able to close it out on 17," the Swede told reporters after being dormie three with three holes to play before Austin fought back.

"Thankfully I hit a great approach on 18 and it was done and over with pretty much."

Stewart Cink never trailed against Argentina's Angel Cabrera before winning 3&2 to earn a semi-final match-up later in the day with fellow American Justin Leonard, who holed a 10-foot birdie putt at the last to edge Vijay Singh one up.

Leonard, the 50th seed, had been three up on Singh after 11 holes before the smooth-swinging Fijian got back to all square after 17.