The doc takes on the forensic scientist
Heather Watson (GBR) v (8) Alison Riske (USA)
Not before 1pm; head-to-head – Watson leads 1-0
The last seed standing faces Hobart’s in-form player in the first of the day’s semi-finals, which is shaping up to be a belter.
Watson, the world No.49, has moved through the gears in imperious fashion during each of her three matches. Both Magdalena Rybarikova and No.5 seed Sloane Stephens were blown away in the second half of their encounters with the Briton, who ousted No.9 seed Roberta Vinci in similar style in the quarters.
Analysis and attack have been the hallmarks of Watson’s victories, with a spell spent working out her opponent’s game followed by three pitch-perfect lessons in how to exploit a weakness.
Not that Alison Riske gave her much evidence of weakness against Zarina Diyas. The American, who recounted the tale of her near-miss with medical school in Hobart this week, was in blistering form in the quarter-final, overwhelming the No.2 seed with her relentless, flat ground strokes.
Having beaten Serbia’s Bojana Jovanovski for the first time earlier on Thursday, the No.8 seed insisted she felt fighting fit and confident ahead of the semis. The world No.42 has the firepower to push Watson onto the back foot, but can she do so successfully for two sets before the British No.1 finds a chink in her armour?
Cinderella must go through the wall
Kurumi Nara (JPN) v (Q) Madison Brengle (USA)
Not before 5.30pm: head-to-head – Nara leads 2-0
Six matches. One finish after midnight. Two matches on Thursday. One former champion beaten. One blister popped. It’s fair to say Madison Brengle has taken the long road to the semi-finals.
The American qualifier, one of six to feature in the first round, hustled and harried her way past 2012 champ Mona Barthel, who simply could not put the world No.84 away on a Monday night match that ended long after midnight.
A convincing win over fellow qualifier Kateryna Kozlova followed before Brengle was at it again, chipping away in the face of some fearsome firepower in the form of Karin Knapp. The Italian had beaten the No.1 seed Casey Dellacqua earlier in the day but Brengle’s defensive acumen drove her to distraction and defeat.
Whether Kurumi Nara will be as wasteful as Knapp and Barthel remains to be seen. The Japanese world No.43 is arguably Brengle 2.0 – a fine defender, with the ability to fire off winners once the point has been carefully crafted.
Having hit back from a bagel in her opening match against Klara Koukalova, Nara saved a dozen break points against Camila Giorgi – another Italian big hitter – in the last eight, another display of unflinching defiance. At her best she can be a wall on court, getting anything and everything back, often with interest.
Will two dyed-in-the-wool defenders cancel one another out, or will one step in and try to dictate play from their end?