Blockbuster semi-finals await at Porsche Grand Prix in Stuttgart

World No 1 Iga Swiatek battled back from a set down to book her place in the Stuttgart semi-finals while world no 2 Aryna Sabalenka also mounted a stunning comeback.
Swiatek will face world No 4 Ons Jabeur in the last four, while Sabalenka takes on Anastasia Potapova for a place in the final.
Defending champion Swiatek sealed her return to the semi-finals after coming back from a set down to defeat 2018 champion Karolina Pliskova 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.
“Overall I felt like at the beginning I couldn’t really focus,” Swiatek said.
“When she’s serving, these are like really milliseconds that matter. So I feel like I was playing already good tennis at the end of the first set, but it was already too late kind of to even the score.”
Sabalenka clinched an epic comeback, as she had to break back to level 4-4 in the second set on her way to winning 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.
“I was just talking to myself and saying, OK, just try one more time, just try to put the ball back, and then run and move and try to win this game and probably you can win this set,” Sabalenka said.
“Then who knows what’s gonna happen in the third set? Definitely that game was the key game.”
Potapova was thrilled about booking a first-time encounter with good friend Sabalenka in the last four.
“Aryna is my good friend, and I think it’s going to be fun,” Potopova said.
“I’ve been waiting for this match, actually. I really wanted to play against you, Aryna, I don’t know if you’re watching!”
Potopova had to battle beyond No 4 seed Caroline Garcia but was at a loss to explain the result.
“To be honest, I don’t know,” Potapova said.
“Because today, I didn’t play my best in the first set, or actually in the second set either. I’m very happy that in the third set I found a way.”
Jabeur meanwhile felt confident that she could get beyond the defending champion in their semi-final clash.
“The good thing maybe, Iga is not at the same level as she was last year,” Jabeur said after the quarterfinals.
“I’m gonna really focus on playing like I played her on grass at Wimbledon [in 2021].
“I think maybe the key is to be unpredictable with Iga, not knowing which shots I’m gonna do. I think that’s really good to disturb her a lot.”
Swiatek anticipates a tough contest against the highly-skilled Jabeur.
“With Ons, these matches are always really just tight so every point matters,” Swiatek said.
“I just hope it’s gonna be a nice match, because I’m pretty happy that I’m back and I can just play in front of audience and feel these emotions. Even though my break wasn’t really long, I feel like I really missed that.”
READ MORE: Ons Jabeur finds ‘A’ Game in Stuttgart