Pliskova doubles up to reach Zhengzhou semifinals

Bad weather forced organisers to squeeze in second-round and quarterfinal matches, meaning a tight turnaround for the top seed Pliskova and her rivals.

Pliskova will play unseeded Ajla Tomljanovic in the last four. (File image)

World number two Karolina Pliskova will play unseeded Ajla Tomljanovic in the semifinals of the WTA Zhengzhou Open in China after winning two matches on the bounce on Friday.

Bad weather forced organisers to squeeze in second-round and quarterfinal matches, meaning a tight turnaround for the top seed and her rivals.

But the Czech was unperturbed, first defeating Polona Hercog 6-3, 7-5, then beating Sofia Kenin of the United States 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 in the quarterfinals.

“To play two matches in a day is never easy, but in the first one I was lucky enough to not go to a third set, just finished quickly and saved some power for the next one,” Pliskova, 27, said.

“I think I played good tennis in both matches. I was serving well today, a lot of aces, which always helps, and there's a lot of positive things for tomorrow.”

Also into the last four in central China is Petra Martic from Croatia after she battled past Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus 7-5, 5-7, 6-4.

Martic will play unseeded Frenchwoman Kristina Mladenovic or the recent US Open semifinalist Elina Svitolina of Ukraine.