World number 46 Veronika Kudemertova came back from one set down to upset Elina Svitolina 5-7 6-3 7-6 (7-3) after 2 and a half hours claiming the fifth top 10 win of her career. Kudemertova beat Svitoliva in both of their head-to-head matches.
Kudemertova earned the first break point in the fifth game, but Kostyuk fended it off to hold serve for 3-3. Both players held their next service games en route to 5-5. Svitolina earned three break points and converted her third chance, when Kudemertova hit a backhand error.
Svitolina earned a chance to serve out the set at 6-5. Kudemertova saved a set point with a forehand. Svitolina earned her second set point, as Kudemertova hit a return long, and sealed a hard-fought set with a service winner.
After an early trade of breaks in the first two games of the second set, Kudemertova hit an ace to hold serve in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead. The Russian player earned a break in the sixth game and consolidated it with a hold on game point to build up a 5-2 lead.
Kudemertova hit an overhead at 30-30, as she was serving for the set at 5-3 to earn a set point. She wasted her first chance with a double fault, but she brought up a second chance with another forehand winner. She converted it with a dropshot.
Kudemertova got an immediate break in the first game of the third set to take a 1-0 lead. The Russian player had to save two break points at deuce in the sixth game to hold serve for 4-2. The World number 5 broke back in the eighth game with a backhand pass down the line to draw level to 4-4. Kudemertova converted her fourth break point with a forehand return winner to take a 6-5 lead after a long game. Svitolina broke straight back with a series of forehands to send the third set to the tie-break.
Kudemertova opened up a 3-0 lead in the tie-break and forced an error with a crosscourt backhand to earn four match points at 6-2. She sealed the win with a backhand at 6-3 on her second chance.
“I tried to play aggressive, because Elina has a good defense. If you want to win, you need to attack, you need to go to the net, finish the point, because she runs unbelievably. You need to do something aggressive to win the points”, said Kudemertova.
Kudemertova set up a semifinal match against 18-year-old Marta Kostyuk, who rallied from losing the first set to beat Sara Sorribes Tormo 0-6 6-1 6-4 and reached the first WTA Tour semifinal of her career. Kostyuk avenged her defeat against Sorribes Tormo, who beat her 18-year-old Ukrainian rival in the final qualifying round of Wimbledon in 2018.
Sorribes Tormo never faced a break point in the first set and won all four of her second service points to cruise to a bagel win after just 24 minutes. The Spanish player earned an early break to win her seventh consecutive lead in the second set. Kostyuk broke straight back in the second game to draw level to 1-1. The young Ukrainian player got her second break to take a 3-1 lead in the fourth game.
Kostyuk broke for the third game with a forehand passing winner to race out to a 5-1 lead. The teenager served out the set at 15 with a volley in the seventh game.
The third set started with a series of six consecutive breaks. Sorribes Tormo stopped the streak by holding serve for 4-3 in the seventh game. Kostyuk held serve to draw level to 4-4 after serving a break point. Kostyuk converted her third break point to take a 5-4 lead with a forehand winner at the net after a long game.
Kostyuk forced an error with a backhand down the line winner to seal the win on her second match point.
Kudemertova will face Kostyuk for the first time in her career. The winner will reach a WTA Tour final for the first time.