Rome - women’s semi finals

Womens semi finals in Rome.

Internazionali BNL d'Italia - a WTA Premier 5 category tournament, on Red Clay, in Rome, Italy, 11-19 May 2019.

Defending champion:

Elina Svitolina (4) who defeated Simona Halep (1) 6-0 6-4

- Karolina Pliskova (4) v qualifier Maria Sakkari 

The pair had met once previously, in this same tournament last year, where Sakkari prevailed in the second round in three sets.

Sakkari began the better this year, securing the first break to lead 2-1, and maintaining that edge through to 4-2, before a brief rain delay appeared to stall any momentum which the Greek player may have enjoyed. Her tournament to this point had been stellar - winning her way into the main draw the hard way by surviving the tough qualifying rounds, then knocking off Kontaveit, Kvitová and Mladenovic to reach the finale.

Pliskova rattled off the rest of games in the opening set, breaking Sakkari twice to lead 6-4.

Set two proved a difficult place in which to achieve a service break, although Sakkari had chances - one in the opening game, and two more in the fifth - on each occasion foiled. At 4-4, Pliskova decided to move, and she won the final eight points of the match to book a place in the final. Karolina Pliskova won 6-4 6-4.

- Kiki Bertens v Johanna Konta 

The pair had met four times previously, splitting the difference 2-2, most recently Bertens winning at Indian Wells earlier this year.

In this semi final, Konta hit a winner to save break point and level at 1-1. Then the pair exchanged breaks of serve before Konta once again survived a break point scare, coming to the net and then wrong footing Bertens.

Konta broke  to lead 5-4 and go to the line and serve for the set, only for Bertens to break back to love. From deuce, Bertens delivered three aces and gained a 6-5 lead.

The Dutch number one shattered the Konta power game as the Brit attempted to stay in the set, but was broken to 15. Bertens led 7-5.

After exchanging service breaks in the first two games of set two, no further damage was inflicted on serve until the eleventh game where Konta cracked the Dutch delivery. Konta proceeded to hold in the following game and draw level at 5-7 7-5.

In the decider, Konta broke the Bertens serve in both the third and seventh games, and served for the match at 5–4.

An ace took Konta to 40-0 and three match points. Bertens saved all of them but couldn’t save a fourth and the match was over.

Johanna Konta won 5-7 7-5 6-2, to earn a place in the final, where she will play Karolina Pliskova