Karolina Pliskova is peaking in Cincinnati again.
Down 0-4 tonight, Pliskova reeled off nine of the next 10 games and held a 7-5, 2-0 lead when Paula Badosa retired due to an apparent right arm issue.
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Pliskova, the 2016 Cincinnati champion, is through to her fourth semifinal in her last eight tournaments.
The fourth-seeded Pliskova, who is the only Czech champion in Cincinnati history, will face surprise semifinalist Jil Teichmann for a place in the Western & Southern Open final.
The 🇨🇿 turned the match around in the opening set after being down 0-4!In the end, @KaPliskova moves on to the semifinals after Badosa retires due to injury.#CincyTennis pic.twitter.com/v2bcZai4Ac
— wta (@WTA) August 21, 2021
Earlier, the 76th-ranked Teichmann backed up her Thursday night upset of US Open champion Naomi Osaka by sweeping Swiss compatriot and Olympic gold-medal champion Belinda Bencic 6-3, 6-2.
“I felt good since the beginning,” Teichmann said. “I served well. I got there, the short ball, I went in. I was defending well. I was moving good. I think everything kind of worked out for me today.”
Former world No. 1 Pliskova is playing for her 17th title and first since the 2020 Brisbane. Should Pliskova reach Sunday’s final she could play either world No. 1 Ash Barty in a rematch of the Wimbledon final or former No. 1 Angelique Kerber in a rematch of the 2016 Cincinnati and US Open finals.
Photo credit: Western & Southern Open Facebook