Ostapenko marches into Adelaide semi-finals, Shelton advances in Auckland

She secured a spot in the semi-finals of the Adelaide International tournament with a convincing 7-5, 6-3 win against Marta Kostyuk on Thursday.

The Latvian player, ranked 12th, achieved a significant milestone in her career by winning the 2017 French Open title.

As she prepares for the Australian Open from January 14-28, she is gradually regaining her top form. Her first match will be against local player Kimberley Birrell.

Ostapenko, who reached the quarter-finals in Brisbane, had a tough battle against Ukrainian Kostyuk in the opening set.

However, she managed to raise her game and take control of the match after dropping her serve. With a break of serve, she went ahead 3-1 and never looked back.

In the semi-finals, the 26-year-old will face the winner of the match between Elena Rybakina and Ekaterina Alexandrova.

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova will also compete against second seed Jessica Pegula in another quarter-final match of the warm-up event.

Daria Kasatkina has already secured her place in the next round after receiving a walkover from Laura Siegemund.

In the men's draw, Sebastian Korda, who reached the quarter-finals of the 2023 Australian Open, comfortably advanced with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over local favorite Christopher O'Connell.

Meanwhile, at the Auckland Classic, top seed Ben Shelton secured a spot in the semi-finals with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Roberto Carballes Baena.

His next opponent will be Taro Daniel, who defeated Alexandre Muller in a challenging match that ended 6-4, 6-7, 6-3.

Unfortunately, Briton Cameron Norrie had to withdraw from his match against Alejandro Tabilo due to a wrist injury.

There are now concerns about his fitness for the upcoming Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the season.