Ashleigh Barty will face Angelique Kerber in the semifinals of the Western & Southern Open, which will be the world number one’s third match in a row against a Grand Slam champion.
After beating two-time Australian Open champion and title holder Victoria Azarenka 6-0 6-2 to inflict her heaviest defeat since 2007, Barty ousted reigning French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova 6-2 6-4 on Friday, having also defeated the Czech en route to the Wimbledon title last month.
The tenth-ranked Krejcikova, making her singles debut in Cincinnati, led by a break in the second set, but Barty recovered and stormed to victory in 71 minutes.