Bejlek overcomes Keys as Gauff dominates Kostyuk en route to semi-finals

[p]The 20-year-old Czech backed up her fourth-round win over world number one [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sabalenka-aryna/vyhksgUB/"]Aryna Sabalenka[/a] with a determined [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/bejlek-s-jVCKq0LH/keys-m-QwU996PK/?mid=AqhoF8Y9"]victory over Keys[/a], a former Australian Open champion who won the title in Cincinnati in 2019.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bejlek-sara/jVCKq0LH/"]Bejlek[/a] got off to a slow start, trailing 0-3 on the way to dropping the first set, but rode a wave of momentum shifts into the final four, where she'll face fourth-seeded [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gauff-coco/f5BXmEH6/"]Coco Gauff[/a].[/p][p]The youngster broke first in the third set only for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/keys-madison/QwU996PK/"]Keys[/a] to battle back and force the tiebreaker, in which Bejlek rallied from 4-2 down on the way to a victory capped by a stinging winner down the line on match point.[/p][image alt="Key match stats" id="496ba322-ae98-49e5-a49b-ffcbb80644fa" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="a4197902-a05f-45b6-b61a-ae25947b47e1" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p][b]Bejlek, who won the title in Abu Dhabi in February as a wild card, continued a spectacular Cincinnati debut.[/b][/p][p]After a solid first set, the 24th-ranked Keys opened the second on sweltering Stadium Court with a break in the third game, but Bejlek, ranked 35th, broke back in the sixth and held for a 4-3 lead.[/p][p]Keys answered with a love game, but Bejlek turned the tables two games later, taking the contest into the third set as Keys hit the net with a backhand on the Czech's second set point.[/p][embed guid="8e6b6725-1729-4efd-ad52-92dfa06aee26" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuM0ytM-wlg" social-type="youtube" /][h2]Gauff looks to reclaim title[/h2][p]Two-time Grand Slam winner [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gauff-coco/f5BXmEH6/"]Gauff[/a] was dialed in from the start against Kostyuk, breaking the 10th seed six times on the way to a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/gauff-c-f5BXmEH6/kostyuk-m-8CZqQdSa/?mid=MB5mLCPQ"]6-2, 6-2[/a] victory in 70 minutes.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kostyuk-marta/8CZqQdSa/"]Marta Kostyuk[/a], who had been 5-0 in the quarter-finals this year, managed one break in each set, but they were minor hiccups for Gauff, who lost just five points behind her first serve.[/p][p][b]"Every match is getting better for me,"[/b] Gauff said. [b]"I'm being more decisive, my serve is improving, and it is getting more and more rare for me to be broken."[/b][/p][image alt="Gauff-Kostyuk matchup stats" id="dce1d44e-a3e2-4cbf-9b13-b3f4334019bd" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="f6d8041a-1026-47b0-a3bc-d6a2f9888342" original-width="2160" original-height="3840" /][p]She was expecting a challenge from the rising Bejlek.[/p][p][b]"Sara is a great player,"[/b] Gauff said.[b] "I watched her win the title in Abu Dhabi. She's so athletic and fast, but she makes you earn every point."[/b][/p][p]Gauff is looking to reclaim her 2023 Cincinnati Open title, when she took down Iga Swiatek.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/tennis/wta-singles/cincinnati/"]Follow the women's side in Cincinnati here.[/a][/b][/p][embed guid="b73144ff-c341-4250-bf53-9cd6796538d8" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32CDNGwIsnQ&pp=ygUDd3Rh" social-type="youtube" /]