Donna Vekić reaches London semifinals after beating Karolina Plíšková

Donna Vekić is through to the semifinals of the WTA 500 grass-court tournament in London. The Croatian player secured her place by overcoming Czech opponent Karolina Plíšková in a challenging quarterfinal match with a score of 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.

Vekić's journey to the main draw was unexpected; she entered as a lucky loser after being defeated in the second round of qualifying. Her opportunity arose when Ukrainian player Marta Kostyuk withdrew from the tournament.

In the quarterfinals, Vekić faced Plíšková, the 106th-ranked player in the world. Vekić started strongly, breaking Plíšková's serve to take a 3-0 lead in the first set. Although Plíšková managed to break back, Vekić ultimately secured the set 6-4.

The second set saw Plíšková gain an early advantage with a break, leading 2-0. She maintained this lead to level the match at one set apiece. Vekić had a crucial opportunity to break back at 4-5, holding three break points, but Plíšková saved them and closed out the set 6-4.

The decisive third set began with Vekić immediately breaking serve to go up 3-0. She maintained her composure and did not falter on her serve for the remainder of the match, securing the victory. This win marks Vekić's fifth career victory against Plíšková in their twelve encounters.