Pliskova fights back to set up clash with h Barty in Stutgart art

STUTTGART: Karolina Pliskova will face world number one Ashleigh Barty in the quarter-finals of Stutgart’s WTA clay-court tournament ater seeing off Jelena Ostapenko in a three-set batle on Thursday.

Pliskova, the sixth seed, recovered from losing the first set in a tie break by firing down 21 aces, 10 of which came in the last set alone, for a 6-7 (7/9), 6-4, 6-3 second-round win.

“I like spending time on this court,” joked Pliskova, the 2018 Stutgart champion, ater needing just under two and a half hours to claim victory.

“It was a really good match, because there was not many easy mistakes from both sides.

“It was a far beter performance from me,” she added, having laboured in Wednesday’s victory over lucky loser Tamara Korpatsch.

Thursday’s result was almost identical to Pliskova’s win over Ostapenko in the 2018 quarter-finals in Stutgart when the Czech went on to capture the title.

Former French Open champion Ostapenko hurled her racquet in anger in the second set, while Pliskova broke one of hers as she regained control of the match.

“It always helps me when I break a racquet,” the Czech said.

Pliskova, ranked ninth in the world, plays top seed Barty of Australia in the last eight Friday.

“She’s on a good run and has won a few tournaments, but I have nothing to lose,” added Pliskova.

Barty, who won a pre-australian Open tournament in Melbourne and the Miami Open earlier this month, breezed into the quarter-finals Wednesday by overpowering Laura Siegemund following a first-round bye.

She is using the Stutgart event as part of her preparations for next month’s French Open, where she won her first Grand Slam title in 2019.

She sat out the 2020 tournament at Roland Garros because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Fith seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus faces Anet Kontaveit in the quarter-finals ater her 6-4, 6-2 win over German qualifier Anna-lena Friedsam.

Estonia’s Kontaveit is looking to knock out another big name ater shocking Sofia Kenin of the US, ranked fourth in the world, in the second round on Wednesday.

NADAL DOWNS NISHIKORI: Rafael Nadal needed to go the distance for the second successive day in Barcelona, defeating Japan’s Kei Nishikori to make the last-eight and stay on course for a 12th title at the tournament.

The world number three triumphed 6-0, 2-6, 6-2 over 2014 and 2015 champion Nishikori and next face Britain’s Cameron Norrie, a fellow lethander, for a place in the semi-finals.

Nadal, who suffered a surprise quarter-final exit at the Monte Carlo Masters last week, had also required three sets to beat Belarusian qualifier Ilya Ivashka, ranked at 111, in his Barcelona opener on Wednesday.

Former world number four Nishikori, now down at 39 in the rankings, was let to regret converting just two of 13 break points carved out against the man who also beat him in the 2016 Barcelona final.

World number 58 Norrie progressed when Belgian eighth seed David Goffin retired with an injury in the second set.