China Open: Caroline Garcia wins to keep Johanna Konta waiting

Caroline Garcia maintained her hopes of denying Britain’s Johanna Konta a place in the WTA Finals by reaching the China Open semi-finals.

The unseeded Frenchwoman beat Ukraine’s third seed Elina Svitolina 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 7-6 (8-6) in three hours 21 minutes.

Garcia, 23, will face Petra Kvitova, who beat fellow Czech Barbora Strycova 6-3 6-4, in the last four in Beijing.

Garcia and Konta are chasing the final qualification place for the eight-player season finale in Singapore.

Defeat for Garcia in the quarter-final would have ended her chances of qualifying.

However, if she wins the China Open, Konta must reach the final of the Kremlin Cup, which starts on 16 October, to qualify for the WTA Finals.

• Nadal into China Open semi-finals
• Live scores and results

Konta lost in the first round in Beijing and has withdrawn from next week’s Hong Kong Open with injury.

World number two Simona Halep will meet Jelena Ostapenko in the other China Open semi, a repeat of the French Open final.

Romanian Halep beat unseeded Russian Daria Kasatkina 6-2 6-1, while Latvian Ostapenko, who beat Halep at Roland Garros in June, overcame Romania’s Sorana Cirstea 6-4 6-4.

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