SIMONA Halep missed the chance to return to world number one after losing 7-5 6-1 to Karolina Pliskova in the Miami Open semi-finals.
Czech Pliskova, 27, won nine straight
games, and 10 of the last 11, to fight back from 5-3 down in the first set.
Halep would have topped the rankings if she
had reached the final but Naomi Osaka will stay as world number one. Fifth seed
Pliskova will meet Australia’s Ashleigh Barty in the final after she beat Anett
Kontaveit.
Barty, 22, reached the biggest final of her
career by winning 6-3 6-3, breaking the Estonian’s serve on five occasions on a
rain-interrupted day in Miami.
“It was a very long day, I know we had
to wait around but it was an opportunity to drink some coffee and watch the
golf so I was relaxed,” she said.
“When I came out I was ready for
business. I didn’t start well but I was able to reset and do what I had to
do.”
Pliskova’s win over Halep had to be stopped
twice because of rain, including when the Czech was leading 7-5 5-0.
“It wasn’t easy waiting for so long but I managed to stay aggressive,” said Pliskova after their 1am finish. – BBC
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