Pliskova still going strong in Cincinnati, but Nadal bounced
MASON, Ohio (AP) — Defending champ Karolina Pliskova pulled off a doubleheader sweep on Friday at the Western & Southern Open, reaching the semifinals by winning a pair of matches with little rest in-between. Rafael Nadal couldn’t do the same.
Pliskova completed a match that was suspended overnight because of rain, beating qualifier Camila Giorgi in three sets.
After a quick turnaround, she needed only 67 minutes to beat a rested Caroline Wozniacki 6-2, 6-4 for a sweep into the semis.
“The first match helped me a little bit to have some rallies already today,” Pliskova said. “Physically it was not that tough, so I was warmed up enough.” Nadal got only halfway there. He spent an hour and 37 minutes on court in the afternoon while beating fellow Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas in a match carried over from the previous night.
Five hours later, he was back on court against Nick Kyrgios, who had won a three-set match earlier in the day.
Nadal was sloppy at the outset and on the defensive for much of a 6-2, 7-5 loss that lasted an hour and 20 minutes.
“No excuses, nothing at all,” Nadal said. “I didn’t play well.”
Despite the loss, Nadal will move back to No. 1 in the ATP rankings next week for the first time since 2014, before a series of injuries affected his game.
“To be No. 1 after all the things I’ve been going through the last couple years is something unbelievable,” Nadal said. “For me, it’s an amazing achievement.”
After the match, Nadal wore a ribbon honouring the victims of the attack in Barcelona that left 13 people dead.
Kyrgios will face David Ferrer, who won his only match of the day — 6-3, 6-3 over fourth-seeded Dominic Thiem. At age 35, Ferrer is the second-oldest semifinalist in Cincinnati during the Open Era behind Ken Rosewall in 1970.
No. 7 Grigor Dimitrov is the top seed left in a men’s field depleted by upsets and injuries — Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and defending champion Marin Cilic missed the tournament because of injuries.
Dimitrov needed only 52 minutes to beat Yuichi Sugita 6-2, 6-1.
He’ll face John Isner, who beat wild-card Jared Donaldson 7-6 (4), 7-5. Isner closed it out with a 136 mph ace.
In the women’s bracket, Pliskova will face Garbine Mugaruza in the semifinals.
Sloan Stephens also pulled off a two-win day to reach the semis. She beat Ekaterina Makarova in three sets, then knocked off Julia Goerges in straight sets.
Today, Stephens will face No. 2 Simona Halep, who beat Johanna Konta 6-4, 7-6 (1).