With a bout of rain there have been a number of players doubling up on matches in Cincinnati.
Top seed Karolina Pliskova had a battle on her hands with Camila Giorgi in their quarter final, dropping the second set and enabling the Italian to level the match.
However that was as close as Giorgi was allowed, with Pliskova routing her 6-0 in the decider.
It was much easier in the semi final played later in the day against Caroline Wozniacki Wozniacki had beaten Ash Barty the day before, so had the advantage of not having to play an extra match.
But in avserving display which would make her coach happy, the Czech star was only in trouble in the early stages where she faced her only break point for the match.
Twice she broke the Danish serve and the first set was done and dusted 6-2. Set two was similar and one break was sufficient to send Pliskova into a semi final where she will meet Garbine Muguruza.
Muguruza defeated Sveta Kuznetsova in a high quality match, after surrendering a one set lead and a break in the second. Kuznetsova led 5-4 in the decider but committed too many unforced errors from there, while Muguruza attacked with effect and won the final three games and the match.
Garbine has had a difficult run to the semis, having also had to save three match points against Madison Keys in the quarter final. The semi with Pliskova promises much.
The other semi will feature an American but not the one expected by a pleasantly surprised crowd. Sloane Stephens defeated both Ekaterina Makarova and Julia Goerges to reach the final four, following the upset loss experienced by Elina Svitolina to the German in her round of sixteen tussle.
Stephens faces Simona Halep who is in impressive form, dispensing of Johanna Konta after doing similar to Anastasija Sevastova the day before.
One men's semi final features seventh seed Grigor Dimitrov against crowd favourite John Isner (14).
Isner beat fellow American Jared Donaldson (unseeded) in a tight quarter final 7-6 (4) 7-5 while Dimitrov thrashed Yuichi Sugita, giving up just three games.
Nick Kyrgios will face top seed Rafa Nadal in a quarter final following his comeback win over another big server Ivo Karlovic in the third round
Karlovic served 28 aces and converted the only break point he created on the Aussie serve for the match, to take set one.
Nick had two chances but both went begging.
Set two went directly to a tie break which Kyrgios won 8-6 to turn the battle.
Set three saw Nick break Ivo early and he retained the edge and won 4-6 7-6 (6) 6-3.
Rafa had a tough first against Albert Ramos-Vinolas before belting him in a tie break,7-1. Set two was all about Nadal's return which was lethal on his compatriot's second serve. Ten points won from 13 available. Nadal won through to the quarters 7-6 (1) 6-2.
The winner of Nadal \ Kyrgios will play David Ferrier who has snuck up on most watchers, knocking over both Pablo Carreno Busta (11) and in the quarters Dominic Thiem (3) in two decisive sets.
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