By Chris Oddo | Friday August 18, 2017
Karolina Pliskova kept her Cincinnati title defense alive with a win over Camila Giorgi early on Friday.
Photo Source: Rob Carr/Getty
The race for No.1 is down to two in Cincinnati on the WTA side. Defending champion Karolina Pliskova kept her hopes and title defense alive with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-0 win over Italy's Camila Giorgi.
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It will be a busy day for Pliskova, who will come out after a brief rest to face No.6-seeded Caroline Wozniacki in the quarterfinals on Friday at Cincinnati. The winner of that match will face Garbine Muguruza in the last four. The Spaniard converted her fourth match point to defeat Svetlana Kuznetsova in the first quarterfinal on Stadium Court.
Pliskova can remain at No.1 if she wins the title or if Simona Halep fails to win the title. Elina Svitolina, who entered the day with a small shot at No.1, fell to Julia Goerges, 7-5, 6-4, to make it a two-player race.
Goerges will face Sloane Stephens in the quarterfinals. The American knocked off Ekaterina Makarova, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, to reach the quarterfinals for the second straight week.