TNT Sports
Karolina Pliskova beats Ons Jabeur to reach Nottingham semi-finals, Emma Raducanu v Katie Boulter suspended
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Updated 15/06/2024 at 21:41 GMT+1
Former world No. 1 Karolina Pliskova enjoyed a hard-fought three-set victory over Ons Jabeur on Saturday afternoon in the quarter-finals of the Nottingham Open, as she prepares for Wimbledon. In the evening's all-British semi-final, Emma Raducanu's match with Katie Boulter was suspended with Raducanu one set up, to be concluded on Sunday before the final.
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Karolina Pliskova beat Ons Jabeur 7-6(8) 6-7(3) 7-5 in the quarter-finals of the Nottingham Open, as Emma Raducanu v Katie Boulter was suspended after one set.
Jabeur has been the losing finalist at SW19 for both of the last two years, and she endured a tough match as Wimbledon preparation in Nottingham.
Quarter-final finishes at the French Open and the Madrid Open are the best performances of her season so far in 2024, with the 29-year-old now ranked at No. 10 as her relative loss of form has seen her fall from her highest ranking of No. 2 back in 2022.
Pliskova is a hugely accomplished player in her own right, as a former world No. 1, and was also a runner-up at Wimbledon in 2021.
The 32-year-old won her first tournament in four years in February at the Transylvania Open, and has returned to the top 50 in the world.
The two went toe-to-toe with little to separate them throughout.
Jabeur started brightly, winning the first game and displaying impressive mobility, but the first set went the way of the Czech player, as she edged an epic tie-break 10-8, helped by a return clipping the net and leaving her rival stranded.
Pliskova looked to be on the cusp of victory as she led 6-5 in the second set, with the pressure on Jabeur to stay in the match, but as has happened on occasion in Nottingham this week, rain stopped play at a potentially decisive moment for the pair.
After a lengthy delay, the Tunisian returned to force another tie-break, and she claimed the win to set up a third-set decider with a drop shot at set point, leaving Pliskova with no chance of resisting.
Jabeur continued her good momentum into the third set, recovering to break back to move 4-3 clear with another tie-break seemingly on the horizon.
However, at 5-5 Pliskova was able to break Jabeur and claim two consecutive games to earn a hard-fought win to move into the last four.
Pliskova is scheduled to play her semi-final tie - against France's Diane Parry - later on Saturday evening as tournament organisers look to complete the remaining matches ahead of Sunday’s final.
The other semi-final on Saturday evening, an all-British affair, saw Katie Boulter face Emma Raducanu, with the match halted due to rain.
No. 3 seed Boulter might have been the favourite despite her opponent’s US Open win, with Raducanu still struggling for form and fitness after that famous achievement.
Raducanu had missed the French Open as she declared she wanted to focus on her long-term fitness ahead of the second half of the season.
The 21-year-old is preparing for Wimbledon, the tournament where she made her name in 2021 with a surprise fourth-round exit.
Boulter has had two third-round finishes at SW19 in the last two years, and the 27-year-old held her own for much of the first set as it went to a tie-break.
There was a scare for Raducanu at the end of the first set when she had to call out the physio after a nasty fall, but she was able to recover quickly to put any fears to bed.
Boulter led the tie-break 4-1 and managed to blow three set points, with Raducanu clawing her way back. After an epic battle, Raducanu took the first set 15-13 on the tie-break as two consecutive smashes secured the set.
There was a sense of inevitability as the rain came once again as the players were ready for the resumption of play for the second set, with the match to conclude on Sunday - weather permitting.
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