Giant slayer Keys rolls into semis in Cincinnati

American Madison Keys swept past Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina 6-2, 6-4 at the Cincinnati Open on Friday, setting up a semifinal clash with Petra Kvitova after the Czech defeated Ajla Tomljanovic.

After dispatching world No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the third round, the 27-year-old Keys carried that momentum into the quarterfinals with a dominating win over 25thranked Rybakina.

Both Keys and Rybakina had reached the quarterfinals without dropping a set and it would be the American keeping the unblemished record.

“I know she’s a remarkable player and she can turn it around at any moment, so I knew I had to try to stay out in front, because at any moment she can go on a roll,” said Keys, finalist at the 2017 U.S. Open.

“I think that’s kind of the key against her. If you back off at all, then she gets to dictate and run you around.”

One of the WTA Tour’s big hitters, ranking No. 2 on the season ace list, Rybakina struggled with her serve the entire match, hitting just one ace while piling up four double faults.

Later, Kvitova reached the last four in Cincinnati for the third time in her career with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Australian qualifier Tomljanovic.

Two-time Wimbledon champion Kvitova knocked out Tomljanovic in just over an hour as she fired in 12 aces.

No. 1 seed Daniil Medvedev of Russia and No. 4 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece took down American quarterfinal opponents on Friday to set up a semifinal meeting at the Western & Southern Open in Mason, Ohio.

Medvedev beat No. 11 seed Taylor Fritz 7-6 (1), 6-3, while Tsitsipas outlasted heavy-serving John Isner 7-6 (5), 5-7, 6-3 in about 2 ½ hours.

Medvedev hit 32 winners, including 18 aces, to blow past Fritz in a matchup of the first- and 13th-ranked players in the world. Medvedev also saved all six break points he faced.

Tsitsipas got away with a win despite Isner leading in aces (18-7), first-service points won (55-47) and overall winners (54-41).

It wasn’t all smooth sailing for the seeded players. Croatia’s Borna Coric stunned seventh-seeded Canadian Félix Auger-aliassime 6-4, 6-4 to book his semifinal spot.

Coric, ranked No. 152 in the world as he works his way back from shoulder surgery, won a stunning 31 of 32 first-service points (96.9 per cent) in securing the upset of Auger-aliassime, of Montreal.