Pliskova dumps Halep

Defending champion Simona Halep lost her first match at the Madrid Open in three years on Thursday as Karolina Pliskova produced an inspired performance to reach the semifinals.

Halep had won the title here both in 2016 and 2017 but the World No. 1 struggled to impose her baseline game against the power of Pliskova, who won 6-4, 6-3.

In the men’s section, Britain’s Kyle Edmund followed up his surprise win over Novak Djokovic by beating Belgium’s David Goffin 6-3, 6-3 on Thursday to march into the quarterfinals.

In the doubles pre-quarterfinals, India’s Rohan Bopanna and Edouard Roger-Vasselin of France lost 4-6, 7-6(4), [10-5] to Raven Klaasen and Michael Venus.

The results:

Men: Third round: Kyle Edmund bt David Goffin 6-3, 6-3; Kevin Anderson bt Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-3, 7-6(7); Denis Shapovalov bt Milos Raonic 6-4, 6-4.

Second round: Borna Coric bt Jan-Lennard Struff 6-0, 6-2; Dominic Thiem bt Federico Delbonis 4-6, 6-3, 7-5.

Doubles: Pre-quarterfinals: Raven Klaasen & Michael Venus bt Rohan Bopanna & Edouard Roger-Vasselin 4-6, 7-6(4), [10-5].

Women: Quarterfinals: Karolina Pliskova bt Simona Halep 6-4, 6-3; Caroline Garcia bt Carla Suarez Navarro 6-2, 6-3.

Third round: Darya Kasatkina bt Garbine Muguruza 6-2, 4-6, 6-3; Maria Sharapova bt Kristina Mladenovic 6-3, 6-4.