Karolina Pliskova is through to a semi-final against Ashleigh Barty after a belter of a match 3.20pm GMT
There were low expectations after the performances from both Halep and Pliskova against Svitolina this week, but Pliskova entered the match hitting absurd winners from all parts of the court, absolutely obliterating Halep and refusing to relinquish a single game. Halep could have crumbled, but it was impressive to see her rise to meet the high bar set by Pliskova. Throughout the second set, she soaked up so many of Pliskova’s body blows and pushed back whenever possible. There are few players as good at flipping a point with a spectacular down-the-line shot while on the run.
Pliskova is one of the least expressive players on the court and she is not known for her competitive
fire, but there are plenty of examples of her summoning it. From *0-2 down in the third set, she provided another example by keeping her composure to see out the victory as Halep battled both the opponent and herself. 2.59pm GMT
The semi-finals in Shenzhen are now set:
Ashleigh Barty vs Karolina Pliskova