Czech second-seed Karolina Pliskova will face Caroline Wozniacki in the semi-finals of the Miami Open after the pair triumphed on Tuesday at Key Biscayne. A confident Pliskova ended the hopes of Croat veteran Mirjana Lucic-Baroni with a 6-3, 6-4 win while Wozniacki made sure there would be no all-Czech semi by dispatching Lucie Safarova 6-4. 6-3.
Lucic-Baroni has been enjoying a late career upturn in fortunes at the age of 35 and in January reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open - 18 years after her previous appearance in the last four of a Slam, in 1999 at Wimbledon. In Miami she put out fifth-seed Agnieszka Radwanska in the previous round but the confident and in-form Pliskova proved to be a test too far. Wednesday's quarter-finals see third-seed Simona Halep of Romania take on Britain's Johanna Konta while world number one Angelique Kerber faces local favorite and seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams.