Johanna Konta closes in on Shenzhen Open final following victory over Kristyna Pliskova
Konta, seeded third in China, beat the Czech opponent 6-4 6-7 (13/11) 6-3 with a solid performance and is now one win away from the final
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Your support makes all the difference.Johanna Konta is one victory away from her third WTA final after she saw off Kristyna Pliskova with a hard-fought win in the Shenzhen Open quarter-finals.
Konta, seeded third in China, has hit the ground running in 2017 and got past her Czech opponent 6-4 6-7 (13/11) 6-3 with a solid performance.
She will meet either Nina Stojanovic or Katerina Siniakova in the last four and with second seed Simona Halep already dumped out, the British number one will have eyes on a third tour final and a likely meeting with Agnieszka Radwanska.
It looked like it would be a comfortable outing against Pliskova, the twin sister of world number six Karolina, when a dominant Konta took the first set with a single break.
The second set was a server's paradise, though, as neither player could force a break point, with just one game going to deuce before an inevitable tie-break.
An epic decider ensued as Konta wasted two match points before the big-serving Pliskova eventually took it 13/11 on her fifth set point.
Konta did not let the disappointment get to her, though, and remained solid in the final set.
She claimed the vital break midway through and then saw it out to reach the semi-final on her fifth match point.
Konta said during her on-court interview, on BT Sport: "I am very happy to have extended my stay here, I want to stay here as long as possible.
"She is one of the best servers on tour so I knew going into the match I was going to have a hard time on her service games.
"I was very happy I was able to get that break in the third and see it out in the end."
PA.
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