Tennis – Brisbane International – Women’s Quarter Finals – Pat Rafter Arena, Brisbane, Australia, January 4, 2019 Czech Republic’s Karolina Pliskova celebrates winning her match against Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic REUTERS/Patrick Hamilton
January 4, 2019
Fifth-seeded Karolina Pliskova made her third straight Brisbane International semifinals with a 6-1, 1-6, 6-1 win against Ajla Tomljanovic on Friday in Australia.
“It was a very strange match today, but the beginning of the sets was very important,” said Pliskova. “I’ve never had a match like this, but I’m just happy that I’m back in the semifinals.”
Pliskova, of the Czech Republic, overcame a rough second set to win in one hour and 23 minutes.
Pliskova will face Donna Vekic of Croatia in the semifinals. Vekic dominated Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-2, 6-0 in Friday’s other quarterfinal.
ASB Classic
Teenage qualifier Bianca Andreescu continued her stunning run in Auckland, New Zealand on Friday with a 6-7 (1) 6-1, 6-3 win over Venus Williams to reach the semifinals.
The 18-year-old Canadian, ranked 152nd in the WTA rankings, was coming off an upset of top seed Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark, 6-4, 6-4 the day before.
Andreescu will face third-seeded Su-Wei Hsieh of Chinese Taipei in the semifinals.
Hsieh advanced with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Sara Sorribes Tormo of Spain.
Shenzhen Open
Top seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus sent fifth-seeded Maria Sharapova packing when the Russian retired from their quarterfinals match in Shenzhen, China.
Sabalenka was leading 6-1, 4-2 when Sharapova called it quits, citing a left thigh injury.
Next up for Sabalenka is Wang Yafan of China, a 2-6, 7-6 (4), 6-1 winner over Romanian qualifier Monica Niculescu in the other quarterfinal.
–Field Level Media
