By Justin Ross

In Thursday’s Miami Open action, both semifinals contests were played. World No. 14 Caroline Wozniacki will battle world No. 11 Johanna Konta for the Miami Open title.

First, it was Wozniacki over world No. 3 Karolina Pliskova 5-7, 6-1, 6-1.

Pliskova started the opening set with a 4-2 lead. Wozniacki bounced back to go up 5-4, but Pliskova wouldn’t quit. She saved three set points, and with momentum, the world No. 3 took three straight games for the 7-5 set win.

Wozniacki showed tremendous composure to rebound. She opened up the second set with three straight wins, and from there, Pliskova didn’t have an answer. Wozniacki claimed 12 of the last 14 games with 6-1 victories in the second and third set. Pliskova finished the match with 46 unforced errors compared to 23 for Wozniacki.

“I’m not sure how I managed to do that. It’s definitely tough to lose that first set, especially after you had set points. It hits you a little bit,” the Denmark native said. “But, I got a good start in the second set and that got me going, got me grinding.”

Wozniacki is now 4-1 in head-to-head play with Pliskova. Her lone loss against the Czech native came in February.

Wozniacki’s run to the finals includes wins over Lucie Safarova, Sorana Cirstea, Varvara Lepchenko, and Garbine Muguruza. This will be her second finals appearance in 2017.

At night, Konta got the better of world No. 12 Venus Williams 6-4, 7-5. The British native is now 3-1 against the American legend, despite the fact that 13 of the past 19 finals in Miami have featured a Williams sister.

At 2 hours, this was a long battle for a match that ended in straight sets. Konta’s youthful energy at age 25 quite possibly could’ve contributed to her extended mobility that gave her the upper-hand against the older Williams.

Konta is 1-0 in career play against Wozniacki with a win in January at the Australian Open. Both competitors will be going for their first Miami Open crown.

“Against Caroline, I’m definitely going to be looking forward to playing a lot of balls and a lot of tough points. She’s one of the best athletes in the game. She ran a marathon for goodness sake. I’m sure it’ll be a match where I’ll be running for a lot of balls. Hopefully, we’ll give a great match for the final,” said Konta.

The women’s finals will take place Saturday.

Check out the full results here: https://www.miamiopen.com/live-scoring-2017

Check out the schedule of match play here:  https://www.miamiopen.com/2017-draws-and-order-of-play

Tickets for the annual event start at $12 for youth and $15 for adults. A group rate of $7 is also available for 20 or more and grant access to all day session matches. Tickets are on sale now, for more information go to www.miamiopen.com or call the Miami Open ticket office at 305-442-3367.

The 2017 Miami Open is scheduled for March 20 – April 2 and will once again be the hottest ticket in town. With ticket packages starting at just $136 and individual sessions starting at $20 the Miami Open will be the place-to-be.

About the Miami Open presented by Itaú

The 2017 Miami Open will be played March 20-April 2 at the Crandon Tennis Center in Miami. The two-week combined event is owned and operated by IMG. The Miami Open is one of nine ATP Masters 1000 Series events on the ATP calendar, a Premier Mandatory event on the WTA calendar, and features the top men’s and women’s tennis players in the world. The tournament is widely regarded as the most glamorous on the ATP and WTA calendars because of its exotic Miami location, thriving nightlife, five-star hotels and restaurants, beautiful weather and beaches, and its celebrity appeal. For ticket information, call +1.305.442.3367 or visit www.miamiopen.com.

About Itaú

Itau is the largest Latin America privately owned bank, with approximately 95,000 employees and operations in 20 countries throughout the Americas, Asia and Europe. Itaú’s relationship with sport goes back to the 1970s, when Itaú first sponsored the Itaú Tennis Cup in Brazil in 1970. Itaú has been a sponsor of the Miami Open for the last six years, and also sponsors the Rio Open, the only combined ATP/WTA event in South America. Itaú also supports the Brazilian Women’s Tennis Circuit, only female professional tournament in South America, certified by the Brazilian Tennis Confederation (CBT) and the International Tennis Federation (ITF), as well as the Tennis Institute Training Center, responsible for the development of young, new talent.

About IMG

IMG is a global leader in sports, fashion and media operating in more than 25 countries around the world. IMG’s businesses include Events Media, College, Golf, Tennis, Performance and IMG Academy, Fashion, Models, Clients, Licensing, Joint Ventures, and creative management agency Art + Commerce. In 2014, IMG was acquired by WME, the world’s leading entertainment and media agency. Together, the companies offer an unparalleled client roster; strategic partnerships with sponsors and brands; and marquee assets across sports, entertainment, events, music and fashion.