By Justin Ross
In today’s Miami Open action, the first semifinals matchup was determined.
It was world No. 3 Karolina Pliskova who secured a victory in afternoon action. She will face Caroline Wozniacki in the semifinals, who booked her slot with a win at night.
In the first quarterfinals showdown, Pliskova defeated Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 6-3, 6-4.
During the contest, Lucic-Baroni double-faulted 10 times compared to her opponent, who only had one. Lucic-Baroni falls to 3-4 in head-to-head meetings with the Czech native.
Pliskova’s road to the semis includes victories over fellow Czech native Barbora Strycova and Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva. She now has semis appearances in back-to-back tournaments, and the run marks her best performance in Miami.
“I won the first set which helped me, so I was feeling confident. Even she had some chances in the second one, I still, you know, managed somehow to always puts the service back and return it well so she was still under the pressure,” she said. “So, that was also the key of the match, the serve.”
In the second quarterfinals match, it was Wozniacki who defeated Lucie Safarova 6-4, 6-3.
Safarova was the last unseeded player in the women’s draw. The only other unseeded player to reach the quarterfinals of the tournament in the past 5 years was Sloane Stephens, who did so in 2015. Safarova drops to 3-5 in head-to-head meetings with her opponent.
Wozniacki’s road to the semis includes wins over Spain’s Garbine Muguruza, who retired mid-match, and Romania’s Sorana Cirstea.
In career play, Wozniacki is 3-1 against Pliskova. When asked about a potential showdown with Wozniacki, this is how the Czech native responded:
“I would expect tough one because I know she has been playing quite good here in last few years. I didn’t see many of her matches here, but we all know I have a coach who was coaching her, so I’ll ask her about that match.”
In other action, a pair of doubles quarterfinals matches took the court.
The No. 3 seeded team of Sania Mirza, India, and Babora Strycova, Czech Republic, defeated the No. 6 seed duo of Vania King, U.S., and Yaroslava Shvedova, Kazakhstan, 6-4, 6-1.
Then, Shaui Peng, China, and Andrea Hlavackova, Czech Republic, defeated Indian Wells runner up Svetlana Kuznetsova and Kristina Mladenovic 6-1, 6-4.
In Wednesday’s quarterfinals contests, world No. 1 Angelique Kerber will battle Venus Williams and Simona Halep will face off with Johanna Konta.
Kerber and Williams are the only two remaining players to have a Grand Slam title. Out of the 15 American women who entered the main draw, Williams is the only one to reach the quarterfinals. The match is scheduled for an evening start.
Check out the full results here: https://www.miamiopen.com/live-scoring-2017
Check out the schedule of match play here: https://www.miamiopen.com/2017-draws-and-order-of-play
Tickets for the annual event start at $12 for youth and $15 for adults. A group rate of $7 is also available for 20 or more and grant access to all day session matches. Tickets are on sale now, for more information go to www.miamiopen.com or call the Miami Open ticket office at 305-442-3367.
The 2017 Miami Open is scheduled for March 20 – April 2 and will once again be the hottest ticket in town. With ticket packages starting at just $136 and individual sessions starting at $20 the Miami Open will be the place-to-be.
About the Miami Open presented by Itaú
The 2017 Miami Open will be played March 20-April 2 at the Crandon Tennis Center in Miami. The two-week combined event is owned and operated by IMG. The Miami Open is one of nine ATP Masters 1000 Series events on the ATP calendar, a Premier Mandatory event on the WTA calendar, and features the top men’s and women’s tennis players in the world. The tournament is widely regarded as the most glamorous on the ATP and WTA calendars because of its exotic Miami location, thriving nightlife, five-star hotels and restaurants, beautiful weather and beaches, and its celebrity appeal. For ticket information, call +1.305.442.3367 or visit www.miamiopen.com.
About Itaú
Itau is the largest Latin America privately owned bank, with approximately 95,000 employees and operations in 20 countries throughout the Americas, Asia and Europe. Itaú’s relationship with sport goes back to the 1970s, when Itaú first sponsored the Itaú Tennis Cup in Brazil in 1970. Itaú has been a sponsor of the Miami Open for the last six years, and also sponsors the Rio Open, the only combined ATP/WTA event in South America. Itaú also supports the Brazilian Women’s Tennis Circuit, only female professional tournament in South America, certified by the Brazilian Tennis Confederation (CBT) and the International Tennis Federation (ITF), as well as the Tennis Institute Training Center, responsible for the development of young, new talent.
About IMG
IMG is a global leader in sports, fashion and media operating in more than 25 countries around the world. IMG’s businesses include Events Media, College, Golf, Tennis, Performance and IMG Academy, Fashion, Models, Clients, Licensing, Joint Ventures, and creative management agency Art + Commerce. In 2014, IMG was acquired by WME, the world’s leading entertainment and media agency. Together, the companies offer an unparalleled client roster; strategic partnerships with sponsors and brands; and marquee assets across sports, entertainment, events, music and fashion.