Petkovic, Pliskova land in Diamond Games semis
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Antwerp, Belgium (SportsNetwork.com) - No. 3 seed Andrea Petkovic and rising Czech star Karolina Pliskova were a pair of a straight-set quarterfinal victors Friday at the Diamond Games tennis event.
The German Petkovic, who will re-join the Top 10 for the first time in three years next week, handled sixth-seeded former Australian Open runner-up Dominika Cibulkova 7-6 (7-2), 6-0 to set-up a semifinal bout with Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova.
The eighth-seeded Pliskova upended fourth-seeded fellow Czech Lucie Safarova 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 on the indoor hardcourts at Sportpaleis Merksem. Both women struck eight aces, but Pliskova saved four break points and broke Safarova's serve on her first opportunity in the second set.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The world No. 22 Pliskova's semifinal opponent on Saturday will be fifth- seeded Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro, who handled 34-year-old Italian qualifier and former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone 6-3, 6-2.
Meanwhile, another Czech winner came in the form of the aforementioned Zahlavova Strycova, who drubbed German Mona Barthel 6-2, 6-2 to reach the final four.
The 2015 Antwerp champion will pocket $113,000.