Pliskova sets up Barty showdown in Finals

As a result, she set up a semi-final World No.1 Ashleigh Barty. Pliskova demolished Wimbledon champion Halep in a remarkable 20-minute opening set. But Halep showed her trademark tenacity in the second set, breaking the Czech in the opening game before going on to level the scores.

The 28-year-old looked to be in control of the third set as she took a 2-0 lead but Pliskova reeled off five straight games - including two breaks of serve - to put herself on the verge of victory. Halep refused to lie down, however, holding her own serve before picking up another break in the ninth game. But Pliskova broke again, winning the match via a fortuitous net cord. Earlier, defending champion Elina Svitolina confirmed her place in the semi-finals after a hard-fought 7-5, 7-6 (10) win over alternate Sofia Kenin. She will meet Belinda Bencic in the last four stage.

Djokovic thrashes woeful Tsitsipas

Novak Djokovic destroyed a woeful Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-1, 6-2 to book his place in the semi-finals of the Paris Masters in Paris on Friday.

The Serb, who will be supplanted as World No.1 by Rafael Nadal on Monday, showed no signs of the cold that bothered him in his first two rounds as he produced a brilliant display that lasted less than an hour. He will next face Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, whose solid run continued when he saw off Chile’s Cristian Garin 6-2, 7-5.