MASON, Ohio — Angelique Kerber reached the semifinals of the Western & Southern Open on Friday, staying on track to overtake Serena Williams at No. 1.
Kerber overcame a sloppy first set and beat Carla Suarez Navarro 4-6, 6-3, 6-0. If she wins the tournament, she’ll move ahead of Williams in next week’s WTA rankings. Williams has been No. 1 for 183 consecutive weeks, the second-longest such streak. She is the two-time defending champion but withdrew because of a sore shoulder.
Kerber has reached the final in Cincinnati once before, losing to Li Na in 2012.
In the men’s bracket, Grigor Dimitrov reached the semifinals of a Masters event for the third time, beating top American Steve Johnson 7-6 (8), 6-2. Andy Murray has the bracket’s top seed.