ADELAIDE: Former world number five Jelena Ostapenko continued to build momentum ahead of the Australian Open by reaching the Adelaide International semi-finals with a 7-5 6-3 victory over Marta Kostyuk on Thursday.
The 12th-ranked Latvian made her Grand Slam breakthrough by winning the 2017 French Open title and is starting to rediscover her top form for the Jan. 14-28 Australian Open, where she will begin her campaign against local hope Kimberley Birrell.
Brisbane quarter-finalist Ostapenko edged an intense opening set against Ukrainian Kostyuk and raised her level again in the next after dropping serve, as she broke to go ahead 3-1.
There was no looking back from there as Ostapenko settled the contest in style to reach the last-four, where the 26-year-old faces the winner of the clash between Elena Rybakina and Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova later takes on second seed Jessica Pegula in the other quarter-final of the warm-up event.
Russia’s Daria Kasatkina is already through after receiving a walkover from Laura Siegemund.
Ostapenko beats heat to oust defending Brisbane champion Pliskova
In the men’s draw, 2023 Australian Open quarter-finalist Sebastian Korda progressed with a comfortable 6-4 6-4 win over local favourite Christopher O’Connell.
At the Auckland Classic, top seed Ben Shelton advanced to the semi-finals with a 6-4 6-3 victory over Roberto Carballes Baena and will next take on Taro Daniel who beat Alexandre Muller 6-4 6-7(3) 6-3.
Briton Cameron Norrie pulled out of his clash with Alejandro Tabilo after the second seed sustained a wrist injury.
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