Tsitsipas, Teichmann Enter Western & Southern Open Semi-Finals at Cincinnati

Tsitsipas will face Tokyo gold medallist Alexander Zverev next, while Jil Teichmann will take on Karolina Pliskova.

Stefanos Tsitsipas celebrates after his win on Saturday

Image: ATP Tour / Tennis

World No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece beat Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 to reach the semi-finals of the Western & Southern Open on Saturday.

In the semi-finals, Tsitsipas will face Tokyo Olympics gold medallist Alexander Zverev, who defeated Casper Ruud of Norway 6-1, 6-3. Tsitsipas leads the German 6-2 in their ATP head-to-head rivalry.

"Tennis is a psychological game, and things like this happen. It's important to just stick to your roots and what you are doing best," Tsitsipas told atptour.com after the match. "It might not have been ideal in the second set, especially when I made so many opportunities and had such a good opportunity to close it a bit earlier. But with a lot of patience and just trying to find that opportunity in the third set, I was stepping in, I was really determined, and I didn't let go."

"[I was] determined, fierce and feisty when I had to be. I'm just filled with many emotions right now," Tsitsipas said. "Things got really tough at some point, and I had to find different solutions and come up with some new ideas, and I followed through. [I] made it a choice of mine to step in with aggression and build up the game."

Tsitsipas is trying to win his second Masters 1000 title after triumphing in Monte-Carlo earlier this season.

Wildcard Jil Teichmann of Switzerland upset her higher-ranked countrywoman, Tokyo Olympic Games champion Belinda Bencic, to earn a semi-final spot at the Western & Southern Open and set up a clash with No. 5 seed Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic, who advanced after Paula Badosa of Sapin retired due to a right shoulder injury.

In an all-Swiss quarter-final on Friday night, world No. 76 Teichmann ousted the 10th-seeded Bencic, 6-3, 6-2, needed just 71 minutes to end countrywoman Bencic's nine-match winning streak.

The victory continues a stellar week for Teichmann, who earned her career-best win by ranking when she eliminated world No.2 Naomi Osaka in the Round of 16 of the tournament.

"I felt good since the beginning," Teichmann told wtatennis.com after her win. "I served well...the short balls, I went in. I was defending well. I was moving good. I think everything kind of worked out for me today."

Next up for Teichmann will be a semi-final clash with No.5 seed Karolina Pliskova. It will be the first meeting between the two. Pliskova moved into the semi-finals after Paula Badosa of Spain retired due to a right shoulder injury while Pliskova was leading 7-5, 2-0.

Top seed Ashleigh Barty of Australia reached her sixth semi-final of the year and second at the Western & Southern Open, with a straight-sets defeat of ninth seed Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic. She will face Angelique Kerber of Germany, who progressed after Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic was forced to retire.

Barty defeated No.9 seed Krejcikova 6-2, 6-4 in one hour and 11 minutes. Kerber moved through after No.11 seed Kvitova was forced to retire trailing 6-3, 3-3.

(With IANS Inputs)