Petkovic into Miami semis after beating Pliskova

MIAMI, (Reuters) – Germany’s Andrea Petkovic booked her place in the semi-finals at the Miami Open after a 6-4 6-2 win over 14th seeded Czech Karolina Pliskova yesterday.

Petkovic made a blistering start, going up 4-1 in the first set but the 23-year-old Pliskova powered her way back to 4-4 and then had three break points – all of which the German saved.

Petkovic, the 2011 Miami semi-finalist, won the next five games and wrapped up the match in one hour 13 minutes.

“I was playing really well at the start but I couldn’t see the ball on my serve with the sun on one side and I was struggling,” said Petkovic.

“Karolina also started playing really well and I was a little lucky at the end of the first set. But then I got better and better from there,” she said.

In the last four, Petkovic will face the winner of yesterday’s other quarter-final between Venus Williams and Carla Suarez Navarro.