STUTTGART, Germany — Top-ranked Ash Barty moved a step closer to her first clay title since the 2019 French Open as she came back from a break down in the deciding set to beat Karolina Pliskova 2-6, 6-1, 7-5 on Friday in the quarterfinals of the Porsche Grand Prix.
Pliskova served for the match at 5-4 up in the decider but Barty earned five break points and converted the last of them to level the scores. The Australian then held to love and broke Pliskova again to win when the Czech sent a forehand long.
“That was an incredible match,” Barty said. “Just a really, really good battle.”
Pliskova’s late slip meant she still has not won three consecutive matches since she reached the final in Rome in September. Barty is into her first clay-court semifinals this year after a quarterfinal exit in Charleston.
Barty will play either Elina Svitolina or Petra Kvitova in the semifinals.
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