Barty, Pliskova Head Toward Rematch At Cincinnati Masters

We could see a Wimbledon rematch in the Sunday women’s final of the Cincinnati Masters. But there’s still one round to go before Ash Barty and Karolina Pliskova could meet again.

Today in the quarterfinals, both rolled. Barty stayed in form trouncing Barbora Krejcikova 6-2, 6-4 in a meeting of the last two Grand Slam champions.

Barty improves to 14-1 against Top 20 players this year as she reaches her second Cincinnati semifinal, and this time without dropping a set.

Former Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber is next. The German led 6-4, 4-3 against Petra Kvitova when the Czech retired with a stomach issue.

Kerber has won 14 of her last 15 with the lone loss coming to Barty in the Wimbledon semifinals.

“Angie, she’s never been far off her best,” said Barty. “She never is. Even on some days where she’s not having or playing her best tennis, she finds a way to scrap and fight and stay in matches and give herself an opportunity. She’s one of the best competitors in the world. She knows how to play big tournaments, knows how to play big matches.

“She’s really locked down into the Angie of old, I think, in a sense where she’s confident, she’s aggressive, but she’s able to run and to move and put the ball in tricky spots, to not let you dictate too much. That’s a challenge of when you play against Angie – you have to ride a fine line of not pressing too much, but not being too defensive where she can move you around the court. ”

Pliskova also won by retirement as Paula Badosa had to stop play down 7-5, 2-0 due to a right shoulder. The Czech, who won Cincinnati in 2016, has taken 15 of her last 18.

She’ll be a big favorite against surprise wildcard Jil Teichmann who kept her run going topping countrywoman and gold medalist Belinda Bencic 6-3, 6-2.

“We hugged before the match, we hugged after the match,” Teichmann said. “We know that once we step on court it’s business, it’s just another player I have to deal with, and she had the same mindset. At the beginning it’s obviously a bit special, but once we’re in it, we just look at the game, not looking at the opponent, or at least I do that way.”

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