Anett Kontaveit stormed into the last four of the WTA Finals by securing a hugely impressive 6-4 6-0 victory over Karolina Pliskova on Friday.
Estonian eighth seed Kontaveit overcame Barbora Krejcikova in her opening match and became the first player to reach the semi-finals in Guadalajara by racking up a career-best 12th straight win in just 57 minutes.
Pliskova was victorious in each of the pair's previous three meetings and applied some early pressure but was unable to convert any of the three break points she engineered in game three of the opening set.
Kontaveit, meanwhile, pounced on her first opening, showing the clinical touch that has seen her pick up recent titles in Moscow and Cluj-Napoca with a winner to take the set.
The world number eight reeled off the next six games to guarantee a top-two finish in Group Teotihuacan and secure a tour-leading 38th hard-court match win this year.
Pliskova could yet salvage a place in the semi-finals by overcoming Barbora Krejcikova in her final round-robin match, though.
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Kontaveit – 20/16
Pliskova – 9/18
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Kontaveit – 6/3
Pliskova – 4/2
BREAK POINTS WON
Kontaveit – 4/6
Pliskova – 0/3
LATEST STORIES
Halep questions 'big difference' in doping punishments after Swiatek ban
- 2024-11-29 08:06:12
- Hits 98
Swiatek accepts one-month suspension after testing positive for banned substance
- 2024-11-28 09:51:55
- Hits 79
Optimistic Raducanu 'on a journey of exploration' ahead of 2025 season
- 2024-12-09 10:00:15
- Hits 75
Sabalenka scoops WTA Player of the Year award after stellar 2024 season
- 2024-12-10 04:25:42
- Hits 73