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Muguruza outlasts Kuznetsova, next faces Pliskova in Cincinnati

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Reuters

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2017/sports/08/19/svetlana-kuznetsova-2017-081917.jpg?ext=.jpg"/><figcaption>Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia. Reuters</figcaption></figure></div>Fourth-seeded Spaniard Garbine Muguruza won a lengthy battle against Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia 6-2 5-7 7-5 on a hot and windy day on Friday to reach the Cincinnati Open semi-finals.Wimbledon champion Muguruza stuck out her tongue in exasperation after finally prevailing in the two hour 45-minute contest between the two grand slam winners.Playing a day after deadly attacks killed a total of 14 people in Barcelona and the coastal town of Cambrils in Spain, Muguruza wore a white visor with a black ribbon as a tribute.&quot;Barcelona te siento. Barcelona I feel you,&quot; Muguruza wrote on Twitter after the match.Muguruza next faces world number one Karolina Pliskova, who won back-to-back matches on Friday.The Czech first defeated Italian qualifier Camila Giorgi 6-3 4-6 6-0 in a match postponed by a day because of rain.The top seed then took another step toward successfully defending her title by overpowering former world number one Caroline Wozniacki 6-2 6-4 in her second match.Pliskova had 27 winners to Wozniacki&#x27;s eight with only 13 unforced errors compared to the sixth-seeded Dane&#x27;s 19.Second seed Simona Halep also beat Britain&#x27;s Johanna Konta for the first time in an exciting back and forth 6-4 7-6(1) victory.Halep capitalised on a service break in the first set and then raced out to a 4-1 lead in the second before Konta fought back to send it into a tie-break.The Romanian, however, dominated the tie-break to set up a semi-final match against American Sloane Stephens.The American continued her strong form following her return at Wimbledon after an 11-month absence with a foot injury by defeating Germany&#x27;s Julia Goerges 6-1 7-6(3).Stephens had earlier beaten Russia&#x27;s Ekaterina Makarova 2-6 6-3 6-4.<div>(Reporting by Rory Carroll; ediitng by Ken Ferris)</div>(For more sports coverage, visit the ABS-CBN <a href="http://sports.abs-cbn.com" target="_blank">Sports website.</a>)

Fourth-seeded Spaniard Garbine Muguruza won a lengthy battle against Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia 6-2 5-7 7-5 on a hot and windy day on Friday to reach the Cincinnati Open semi-finals.

Fourth-seeded Spaniard Garbine Muguruza won a lengthy battle against Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia 6-2 5-7 7-5 on a hot and windy day on Friday to reach the Cincinnati Open semi-finals.