It wasn't long ago that Sevilla fans were dreaming of actually winning LaLiga for the first time since their only title success in the 1940s.
Sporting director Monchi built the squad and Julen Lopetegui maximised its potential, using a brilliant defence as the platform for a solid and effective team.
Ultimately, Sevilla's form in the final weeks of the 2020-21 season saw their challenge tail off, but they finished just nine points adrift of eventual champions Atletico Madrid.
Essentially going toe-to-toe with three teams whose budgets dwarfed their own was itself an achievement, and the positivity carried through into the 2021-22 campaign.
At the end of matchday 20, second-placed Sevilla were just two points behind Real Madrid and 10 clear of Real Betis in third. However, since then, their accumulation of 47 points is the ninth-most in LaLiga.
Barcelona have almost double that number (91); Madrid have 79; city rivals Betis are on 62; Real Mallorca – only promoted back to LaLiga for last season – have tallied just three points fewer.
In that respect, Sunday's trip to Camp Nou represents a particularly daunting challenge. So, how has everything unravelled so quickly for Sevilla?
The key departures
Lopetegui's side were never particularly high scorers. In each of his three full seasons in charge, there were at least four teams in LaLiga who scored more than them, and the most they plundered was 54 in 2020-21.
While that may not exactly sound bad on the face of it, successful teams obviously tend to score a fair amount more. Over the seasons in question, the average goals total for the 15 teams to play each campaign in LaLiga was 155 – Sevilla's total was 160, so only slightly above average.
The reason they were able to be competitive around the top of the table despite attacking deficiencies was their excellent defence, built around the central pairing of Diego Carlos and Jules Kounde.
Sevilla conceded 97 goals across Lopetegui's three full seasons, bettered only by Real Madrid (84) and Atletico Madrid (95). The league median was 135, so they were much better than average.
Diego Carlos and Kounde both had the perfect blend of defensive intelligence, physical presence and technical ability, with Lopetegui's emphasis on building from the back starting with them. They were key to virtually everything.
Sevilla knew they'd leave eventually. The likelihood of being able to replace them with another partnership just as good was miniscule.
Instead, they'd need to offset their departures with greater goal threat at the other end. They failed. Sevilla have gone from scoring 1.4 goals and conceding 0.9 per game to netting 1.1 and letting in 1.4.
Lopetegui's delayed exit
Generally, Lopetegui did a very good job. Sevilla were rarely especially entertaining, but for about two and a half seasons they were very effective.
Their form tailed off badly towards the end of the 2021-22 campaign, however. Between January 1 and the end of the season, Sevilla's 32 points from 20 games were only the sixth-most. While they only lost twice in LaLiga during that run, they drew 11 times – no other team in the division reached double figures.
As the end of the season closed in, it seemed likely Lopetegui would leave, and to most fans it felt like the right time. Departing at that moment would've provided him and the club with a clean break and given his successor a full pre-season to get their ideas across.
A report from Marca in mid-May suggested Lopetegui was "on the precipice". A local reporter claimed the same day that their parting had been decided. But about 24 hours later, Monchi insisted the former Real Madrid and Barcelona goalkeeper would still be in charge for the new season.
Indeed, he was, but Lopetegui's attempts to re-energise the team fell flat. Sevilla began the season with one point from four games – they have never had fewer points after that many matches, with it their worst start in 41 years.
Lopetegui lasted another month, but back-to-back home defeats to Atletico and Borussia Dortmund – who were 4-1 winners – took him to the point of no return, his departure confirmed by an emotional on-pitch farewell to supporters.
Jorge Sampaoli, Lopetegui's replacement, has struggled to inspire a turnaround upon his return to the club and even had to contend with reports questioning his own future.
But the coaches cannot be entirely to blame.
Questionable transfer policy
It almost feels like sacrilege to criticise the work of Monchi – at Sevilla, anyway – but his second spell in charge of the club's transfers has been blighted by expensive (by their standards) disappointments.
It hasn't all been bad. Three successive top-four finishes was something they hadn't achieved since the 1950s, and the likes of Diego Carlos and Kounde will go down among Monchi's best ever deals.
But many signings have failed to live up to expectations.
Of the six players brought in during this season's first transfer window, three (Kasper Dolberg, Isco and Adnan Januzaj) have already left permanently or on loan; one has struggled significantly (Tanguy Nianzou); the other two (Marcao and Alex Telles) have spent more time injured than not.
Thirty-six players have been signed between the end of the 2018-19 season and the start of 2023, but you could argue only 11 have been successes. There's also been a focus on more experienced players, so the squad now has 11 players aged 30 or older. Unsurprisingly, the average age of their starting XI (28.9 years) is the oldest in LaLiga this term.
Obviously, it's easy to be critical with hindsight, and it should be highlighted Sevilla rely on player turnover to generate much of their revenue. It's always a risky strategy and that the club has had so much success with this model over the past 20 years speaks to Monchi's excellence.
But this is probably the trickiest period Sevilla have had since returning to LaLiga in 2001. Sure, recent results have hoisted them up to 13th, but they're still only two points above the bottom three and nothing about this season has suggested the squad is mentally tough, which would be a worry if they still found themselves perilously close to the drop zone in the final weeks of the campaign.
The last thing Sevilla need right now is a trip to Camp Nou, where they've not beaten Barca in LaLiga since 2002.
On the other hand, an unlikely positive result could be a game-changer as the club build for a 2023 that fans hope brings a bit more cheer than 2022.
A fight broke out between Austin Rivers and Mo Bamba during Friday's game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Orlando Magic, resulting in five ejections.
The situation occurred late in the third quarter as Rivers took exception to some words from the Magic bench, and while the play continued, Rivers stayed down the other end of the court jawing with Bamba before punches started to fly.
It appeared Rivers and Bamba were the only players to throw punches, before Magic guard Jalen Suggs was also ejected for pulling Rivers to the ground, while the Timberwolves' Jaden McDaniels and Taurean Prince were also given their marching orders for getting too involved.
The Magic went on to win the game 127-120 away from home in a well-balanced performance, with 10 players scoring at least nine points each, led by Cole Anthony with 20 off the bench.
Rivers was still fired up after the contest, posting an Instagram story about Bamba saying "we only know about you from an old rap song" – referencing Sheck Wes' 2018 hit titled Mo Bamba.
His post read: "Buddy I went at you one-on-five! With no backup! You needed your team-mates otherwise you would of been choked out.
"We only know you from an old rap song, not hoops… and Orlando my city, ask around and actually find out. They don't mess with you there… facts!"
He deleted that post after a short period of time, and he explained the situation further when addressing the media afterwards.
"I’m just like, 'Yo, what are you doing?'," Rivers said. "I went up to him and I pressed him, and at that point, it can go one of two ways.
"I didn’t think we were going to get in a fight, but when you stand up that fast and put your hands up – he threw a punch and missed, thankfully. At that point I've got to protect myself. Ain’t no one worried about him."
Orlando center Moritz Wagner said it is difficult to know what to do when a situation like that breaks out, but he was proud of his team-mates supporting each other.
"You obviously want to have your teammate's back and at the same time, you’ve got to be a professional," he said. "So, that’s a challenge for a young team like us.
"I think this time around we did a good job compared to last time [when Wagner was ejected against the Detroit Pistons in December]. So, yeah, I don't really know. It's a weird dynamic.
"You don't really want to be in those situations and it's not really the best look… at the same time, there is something in me that appreciates the team sticking together like that."
The incident comes the night after both Dillon Brooks and Donovan Mitchell were ejected for a skirmish between the Memphis Grizzlies and Cleveland Cavaliers, with Brooks receiving a one-game suspension for instigating it.
The Philadelphia 76ers have now won nine of their past 10 games after Joel Embiid overpowered the San Antonio Spurs in a 137-125 road victory on Friday.
Embiid, who is leading the league in scoring at 33.5 points per game, put together what seemed like an effortless 33 points on 10-of-18 shooting. He also added 10 rebounds, four assists and two steals.
His 1.1 steals per game this season are tied for his career-high, while Embiid is also one of six players averaging at least one steal and one block per game, joining Anthony Davis, Kristaps Porzingis, Jaren Jackson Jr, Jaden McDaniels and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
The 76ers took control of the game with a 47-point second quarter, jumping ahead by 12 at half-time, and the margin never got any closer than nine points the rest of the way.
Embiid was supported well by Tyrese Maxey off the bench with 25 points (eight-of-15 shooting) in 27 minutes, while James Harden finished with 16 points (four-of-10) and eight assists.
For the Spurs, it was an impressive showing from first-round rookie Malaki Branham as he scored a career-high 26 points on 11-of-16 shooting, just two days after setting a career-high of 22 points (nine-of-13) against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday.
With the win, the 76ers improved to 34-17 – the fourth-best record in the NBA.
Suns resurgence continues
The Phoenix Suns (28-26) have climbed back into the Western Conference's top-six after a strong 106-94 road win against the league-leading Boston Celtics (37-16).
Phoenix's season was on life support a couple of weeks ago as they collected only two wins from a 14-game stretch while both Devin Booker and Chris Paul sat out with injuries, but Paul's return has ignited a 7-2 run from their past nine.
Against the Celtics, Paul led both teams with a game-high eight assists to go with 15 points (six-of-15) and six rebounds, while Mikal Bridges's 25 points on nine-of-20 shooting led the Suns in scoring.
It was a night to forget for Celtics MVP candidate Jayson Tatum, shooting just three-of-15 from the field.
Pacers claim bragging rights over trade partner
In a clash between All-Stars who swapped places last season, it was Buddy Hield leading the Indiana Pacers to a 107-104 home win against the Sacramento Kings.
These teams engaged in one of the biggest trades of the 2021-22 campaign when the Pacers sent Domantas Sabonis to the Sacramento Kings for point guard Tyrese Haliburton and Hield, with Sabonis and Haliburton both earning All-Star nods this season on their new teams.
But it was Hield rising to the occasion against his former side, scoring a team-high 21 points on eight-of-15 shooting while also collecting his third double-double of the season with 10 rebounds, and his six assists were his most since October.
Both Dillon Brooks and Donovan Mitchell will pay the price for their part in an on-court altercation on Thursday night.
The NBA announced Friday that Brooks was suspended one game without pay and Mitchell was fined $20,000 for their roles in a scuffle.
Brooks swung and struck Mitchell in the groin area during the third quarter after the Grizzlies guard had fallen to the floor. Mitchell retaliated by throwing the ball at Brooks and then shoving him.
Both players were ejected in Cleveland's 128-113 win.
"That’s just who he is," Mitchell said after the game. "We’ve seen it a bunch in this league with him. Him and I have had our personal battles for years. There's no place for that in the game. This has been brewing for years with me and other guys in the league. This isn't new."
The league said Brooks will serve his suspension on Sunday, when the Grizzlies host the Toronto Raptors.
"I'm not typically someone who gets ejected for stuff like that," Mitchell said. "But at the end of the day, I think my reaction was reacting to a cheap shot. If punishment doesn't come from that, he's just going to keep doing it.
"It's just dumb to be honest with you and I'm going to appeal it because I don't think I should've gotten ejected for defending myself."
Before his ejection, Mitchell had scored just six points in 22 minutes while being guarded by Brooks. The two had matched up regularly when Mitchell played for Utah.
"That was cool when we were just talking, but that right there, a line has to be drawn," Mitchell said. "The NBA has to do something about it. I'm not the only person this has happened to and there's no place for that in this game."
Sean Payton gave his first interview as head coach of the Denver Broncos on Friday, with the focus clearly on building a winning culture.
The Broncos are coming off a disappointing 5-12 season after a tumultuous campaign with first-time head coach Nathaniel Hackett.
They are hopeful Payton will be able to turn things around in a hurry, since he never went worse than 7-9 during his 15-year run as head coach of the New Orleans Saints, with an overall record of 152-89.
He finished his tenure in New Orleans with five consecutive winning seasons, and after a year off, Payton said he feels "recharged and challenged again".
"It's certainly exciting," he said. "I'm looking forward to the challenge, the tradition here is amazing.
"It's going to take a lot of hard work, but our plan is to win, and that's really begun today. We're in the midst of hiring staff – the process was outstanding… it's exciting, it's what I love to do.
"I think we were fortunate enough for a long period of time to [have a winning culture] in New Orleans, and I think it begins with the details – it really begins with the people.
"It's about finding not only the coaches, but all the people involved in this process to be successful. It's really an organisational goal.
"We're planning to win, but then 'here's how'. That involves a lot of details, and it involves a lot of hard work, and that's the exciting part about it.
"When you do this long enough, and all of a sudden you're away for a year, it's not like you jump straight back into it again, you actually start over again from the beginning.
"I'm on the grease board with coach's names up, and you're organising interviews, it can feel overwhelming, but I certainly feel recharged and challenged again."
In a statement, Broncos owner and CEO Greg Penner said he appreciates the rare opportunity to hire such a decorated head coach.
The statement read: "Sean Payton is an outstanding leader and Super Bowl champion with a brilliant offensive mind. He shares our commitment to winning championships for Broncos Country and we're excited to welcome him as our new head coach.
"It is rare in any sport to hire a head coach with Sean's credentials and we appreciate the first-class manner in which the Saints approached this process. We also appreciated the opportunity to meet and learn from other highly qualified, outstanding coaches we interviewed.
"Our goal was to identify a strong leader for the Denver Broncos who is focused on winning, and we found him in coach Payton."
Payton will be tasked with getting production out of franchise quarterback Russell Wilson, who struggled with the worst season of his career after being acquired in a blockbuster trade from the Seattle Seahawks.
Kurt Kitayama sits alone atop the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am leaderboard after Friday's second round with a score of nine under.
Kitayama enjoyed a strong seven-under 64 on his opening round at Monterey Peninsula Country Club – the easiest of the three courses being used – and backed it up with a two-under 70 at the flagship Pebble Beach Golf Links.
He shot three birdies and one bogey on the championship course, which has hosted six U.S. Open tournaments, and will also be the site of Sunday's final round this weekend.
Kitayama will look to remain in pole position after playing the Spyglass Hill course in his third round, with the cut to take place after all players have played all three courses.
First-round leader Hank Lebioda found the Pebble Beach track far more difficult than Monterey Peninsula, opening the week with an eight-under 63 before following it with an even par 72 to remain at eight under, tied for second.
He is joined by fellow Americans Brandon Wu, Keith Mitchell and Joseph Bramlett – who all played at Monterey Peninsula on Friday. Of the five players to shoot rounds of five under or better, all took place at Monterey Peninsula.
Ireland's Seamus Power is one further back at seven under, and he is joined in a five-man group that includes Japan's Satoshi Kodaira and the USA's Scott Stallings, who both sit in a strong position.
Both Kodaira and Stallings have already got the two difficult courses out of the way, and will have a chance to slingshot to the top when they tee up at Monterey Peninsula on Saturday.
Of the big names, world number 11 Viktor Hovland pulled to within three strokes of the lead at six under, while three-time major champion Jordan Spieth is two further back at four under.
The Dallas Mavericks will be without franchise centrepiece Luka Doncic for their five-game road trip due to a heel injury.
Doncic damaged his right heel when he fell during a 111-106 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday.
The four-time NBA All-Star was unable to return after leaving the court in the third quarter, and he did not make the journey west with his team-mates on Friday.
Doncic will miss an encounter with the Golden State Warriors on Saturday and will also be absent for a game against the Utah Jazz and a meeting with the Los Angeles Clippers next week.
He will also sit out back-to-back showdowns with the Sacramento Kings along with Davis Bertans (calf).
Dallas are 0-6 without Doncic this season, although he played only four minutes of a win over the Phoenix Suns due to a sprained left ankle on January 26.
Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said of Doncic's injury: "We'll see how that turns out, then we'll be able to give an update. No participation, nor will those two go on the trip.
"As we get the MRI [results], I think we'll be able to give an update on their status."
Dallas are seeded fourth in the Western Conference standings.
The Las Vegas Raiders have granted quarterback Derek Carr permission to speak with teams who have agreed to their trade demands.
Carr, 31, has spent his entire nine-season career with the Raiders, but he found himself benched for the final two weeks of a disappointing 6-11 campaign.
Something had to give in Vegas, and previous reports had indicated head coach Josh McDaniels would not be fired after the first season of his four-year contract, in part because the franchise can not afford another massive contract buy-out.
NBC Sports reported in November that the Raiders were still feeling the effects of their fallout with former head coach Jon Gruden, who signed a 10-year, $100million contract in 2018. He only completed three-and-a-half years before resigning when racist and misogynistic emails were unearthed, with the franchise settling the rest of his contract for an undisclosed figure.
With McDaniels sticking around, the other franchise-altering move the team can make is at the quarterback position, and to get Carr out of the way they have allowed the veteran to speak to clubs who have already met their demands for a potential trade.
Crucially, Carr's current contract includes a no-trade clause, which he said he would enforce if he deemed it necessary. This means the Raiders can not simply send him to the team with the strongest offer, as Carr will need to sign off on it.
Things could move quickly in the next 10 days, as his $40million guaranteed for this season will become triggered on February 15, or they could cut him and eat a relatively minor cap hit of $5.6m, while getting nothing in return.
Carr already bid farewell to Raiders fans in emotional social media post on January 13, making it exceedingly unlikely he remains on the roster beyond February 15.
Sean Payton has signed his contract to become the Denver Broncos' head coach until the end of the 2027 season, according to reports.
ESPN said the deal was officially signed on Friday.
Reports earlier in the week had revealed the Broncos had agreed a trade package with the New Orleans Saints for Payton, including a first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Payton, who described the move as "the opportunity I was looking for", quit the Saints after the 2021 season.
But there was understandable interest at the start of this year in a coach who won the Super Bowl in New Orleans.
Following interviews with a number of teams, Payton headed for Denver, whose 2022 season was underwhelming to say the least.
The Broncos traded for Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and appointed Aaron Rodgers' Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett as coach.
The result was a 5-12 season in which Wilson struggled badly and Hackett was eventually fired.
Payton faces a sizeable task to turn around the fortunes of the worst team in the highly competitive AFC West.
Jurgen Klopp has no doubts about Mohamed Salah's quality and believes the forward can play a key role in Liverpool achieving "something special" this season.
Liverpool will head into Saturday's match at Wolves 10th in the Premier League, 10 points behind fourth-placed Manchester United in the battle for Champions League places.
The Reds, who are also out of both domestic cups and face Real Madrid in the Champions League, have not had Salah at his brilliant best this season.
Although Salah is Liverpool's joint-top scorer in the league this season, he has netted only seven times in 19 matches. Across his first five campaigns at Anfield, he tallied 118 top-flight goals.
This comes after a close-season in which Salah signed a lucrative new Liverpool contract as team-mate Sadio Mane was allowed to leave.
But Klopp came to the defence of his star man ahead of the Wolves game, telling reporters: "That attitude and these kind of things are not Mo's problem.
"Mo's a world-class athlete, so he's the first in, last out, trains hard. Now he's not scoring, but there's people out there that think, 'why did they give Klopp a contract?', so that's how it is in our world.
"It's completely fine. If we don't deliver in the moments, if there's criticism, it's no problem.
"You can question character, knowledge, ability, everything. You have the right to do everything, but you cannot score the amount of goals Mo scored if you are not an outstanding, world-class football player."
He added: "There are moments when Mo of course would have scored last year. You think that had something to do with the new contract or whatever?
"That's just not right. Things are like they are and the only way we can stop all these questions and discussions is by performing to our top, top level and that's what we have to do and what we will work on.
"We are really on it, and we are still straight, positive, we want to play in the games and we believe in our chances to reach something special even this year.
"It's not great to be not leader of the pack, but we are in a position where we can improve a lot the situation in the table and we have to start tomorrow and continue from there."
Graham Potter called for patience as he warned it will not be "straightforward" getting a new-look Chelsea side to gel after they were held to a goalless derby draw by Fulham on Friday.
Enzo Fernandez started at Stamford Bridge three days after making a Premier League record £106.8million (€121m) move from Benfica, while Mykhaylo Mudryk was replaced by fellow new boy Noni Madueke at half-time on a frustrating evening for the Blues.
Kai Havertz hit the post in the first half and David Datro Fofana – another of a raft of new Chelsea signings – had an effort cleared off the line by Tim Ream.
Fulham were good value for a point that keeps them above their ninth-placed neighbours in sixth spot.
Chelsea were disjointed, understandably lacking fluency following the arrival of so many new players, and head coach Potter says they will need time to build an understanding.
He told BBC Sport: "There was a lot of excitement and positivity from the start, a good atmosphere. The spirit of the players was really good. They worked hard for each other against an organised team.
"They've been together a while. We're a different stage of that – players coming back from injury and new players. We needed time to settle everything down. We were missing the connection, fluidity and confidence that comes from knowing each other.
"The decision we took in the window, you can see the profile in terms of age. We feel we have a very strong group of players. We have to gel and become a really good team. That's where the work is.
"It's working together. When players have been injured, they have not been on the training pitch. We have new players with us. It's about getting ideas across and working with the group.
"Sometimes you have to look at the whole package. Young players, nice mix of them both. For us, it's about improving.
"New players are adapting to a new country and a new league. It's not straightforward. When the price tag is what it is, questions will be asked, it's the nature of the business."
The return from injury of Reece James and Ben Chilwell was a big plus for Chelsea, while Potter revealed winger Mudryk was withdrawn after struggling with a cold this week.
Jadon Sancho was flooded with support from team-mates and Premier League rivals after declaring he was "so happy" to be back in action for Manchester United.
The former Borussia Dortmund winger had been absent due to what manager Erik ten Hag described as "circumstances with fitness and mood".
He played his first game since October 22 when he came off the bench in Wednesday's EFL Cup win against Nottingham Forest.
Ten Hag said Sancho's issues had been physical and mental, and the club have been careful not to rush him back. After three months out of action, however, Sancho will be hoping to repay United's patience on the pitch.
He wrote on Instagram: "Wow! Just want to say a massive thank you to everyone for the support I've received over the past few weeks especially to the fans. My focus is to give my all to my team and the club, I'm so happy to be back out on the pitch, see you soon."
Sancho played the last 27 minutes against Forest, receiving a huge ovation from the Old Trafford crowd, and Ten Hag spoke afterwards of the England international's "really high standards" and "great capabilities".
United team-mates Lisandro Martinez, Diogo Dalot and Christian Eriksen sent messages of approval in emoji form, the modern footballer's conversational currency.
There was also backing from Sancho from rivals Manchester City, with Premier League top scorer Erling Haaland sending emojis signalling thankfulness and congratulations as he welcomed his former Dortmund team-mate back to the field.
City's Jack Grealish also sent emojis of applause and love to Sancho, while Aymeric Laporte posted a similar message, and Riyad Mahrez sent a heart and the message: "Welcome back bro."
Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior noted his approval with applauding hands and a white heart.
Liverpool's Jordan Henderson, Dortmund's Jude Bellingham, Forest's former United man Jesse Lingard and Roma striker Tammy Abraham added to the groundswell of goodwill, while Sancho's good friend, Newcastle United's Joe Willock, wrote: "Love you bro."
There was no dream debut for Enzo Fernandez as Fulham held toothless Chelsea to a goalless west London derby draw on Friday.
Three days after joining the Blues for a staggering £106.8million (€121m) Premier League record fee on transfer deadline day, Fernandez made a tidy first appearance for his new club but was unable to celebrate with a win.
Big-spending Chelsea lacked a cutting edge, with Kai Havertz hitting the post in the first half of a stalemate at Stamford Bridge.
A point keeps Fulham above the Blues in the table and struck another blow to their neighbours' hopes of securing a top-four finish.
Chelsea were disjointed in the first half with a new-look side needing time to gel and Andreas Pereira almost put Fulham in front with a powerful right-footed drive that was tipped around the post by Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Tim Ream got a slight touch on Mason Mount's pass to prevent Havertz from converting at full stretch and the Germany international endured more frustration just before the break.
Hakim Ziyech, who saw a deadline-day move to Paris Saint-Germain fall through, picked Havertz out with a brilliant pass and his lob over Bernd Leno came back off the post.
Mykhaylo Mudryk was replaced by fellow new boy Noni Madueke at half-time after a disappointing first start, but Chelsea continued to lack fluency.
Fernandez was just off target with a long-range right-footed strike after an audacious attempted lob from Aleksandar Mitrovic had Kepa scrambling back to claim on his line.
Conor Gallagher fired wide and Ream cleared David Datro Fofana's shot off the line after he rounded a stranded Leno on a frustrating evening for Chelsea.
Bianca Andreescu survived a wobble near the finish line to reach the Thailand Open semi-finals and edge a step closer to a long-awaited title.
The Canadian had a stellar campaign on hard courts in 2019, winning tournaments at Indian Wells and Toronto before topping those with a US Open triumph, denying Serena Williams a 24th singles grand slam in what would be the American's last major final.
Injuries and inconsistency have blighted progress since then, and there have been no more trophy celebrations, but Andreescu is still only 22 and believes she has a lot of winning still to do.
She was cruising at 6-0 5-1 against Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk in Friday's quarter-final, before her opponent found inspiration and took the second set to a tie-break.
Andreescu was not to be denied, though, closing out a 6-0 7-6 (7-3) victory, and it will be another player from Ukraine next, with Lesia Tsurenko earning a shot at the top seed after a 6-1 6-1 drubbing of German sixth seed Tatjana Maria.
Addressing the fightback from Kostyuk, Andreescu said: "I don't think I started playing bad in the second set, I think she just raised her level a little bit. She's always a tough opponent. I definitely wasn't expecting anything easy."
On her own ambitions, Andreescu said: "I'm hoping to win the tournament, I really believe in myself."
The other semi-final in Hua Hin will be an all-Chinese battle between Zhu Lin and Wang Xinyu after they saw off Slovenia's Tamara Zidansek and Britain's Heather Watson respectively.
At the Lyon Open, French top seed and home favourite Caroline Garcia fended off Italian Jasmine Paolini 7-5 7-5 and faces a semi-final against Colombian Camila Osorio, who had a 6-4 7-6 (7-3) victory against 18-year-old Czech Linda Noskova.
American Alycia Parks, who won two WTA 125 tournaments in December while many players were enjoying an off-season, has brought that form to this week's event. The 22-year-old, ranked 79th in the world, scored a 7-5 6-2 win against seventh seed Danka Kovinic and will face Maryna Zanevska next after the Belgian had a 3-6 6-1 6-2 win against Russian fifth seed Anastasia Potapova.
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