Ash Barty and Sloane Stephens displayed strong form in easy straight sets victories over well-regarded opponents, booking their places in the final four in French Canada.
Barty, the No. 15 seed, needed just 54 minutes to notch her 6-4, 6-1 win over Kiki Bertens, who hit 31 unforced errors to six winners a day after completing a two-day tour de force over Karolina Pliskova and Petra Kvitova. Immediately after, Stephens won the first five games and needed little more than an hour to see of Anastasija Sevastova 6-2, 6-2.
The No. 3 seed played the final few games as she did the first several: with exceptional court coverage and mashing groundstrokes to all corners. A pair of unforced errors helped her win Sevastova’s opening service game, then Stephens displayed her US Open-winning game to win four straight points and break a second time.
The Latvian finally picked up her level after being broken a third time and tallying no winners through the first five games, but Stephens served out the set on her opening attempt. Sevastova then missed several spots in the opening game of the second set, handing the French Open finalist a lead she would not relinquish.
A second, late break cemented Stephens’ advantage before she served out a match in which she won more than half of return points.
Barty put up even better numbers in her victory, facing no break points and winning nearly two-thirds of first serve return points. Little separated the Australian and her defeated opponent through the first six games, but Barty’s superior movement and backhand accuracy suddenly came to the fore.
She won a long rally on the lone break point of the set, then dug out of an 0-30 hole to serve it out.
Bertens subsequently imploded in the opening game of the second set, missing a second serve wildly to set up 0-40 and hitting an equally poor volley on break point. The Australian added another late break to secure her first Canadian semifinal — and second career at the Premier 5 level.
Both Barty and Stephens will learn their Saturday opponents later in the day.
