Ons Jabeur had to overcome a very game Maria Sakkari to reach the Italian Open semi-final.
The Tunisian, remarkably, came back from 6-1, 5-2 down to oust Sakkari and extend her winning streak.
No.9 seed will play Daria Kasatkina in her first Italian Open semi-final after winning 1-6, 7-5, 6-1. against the No.4 seeded Greek.
Jabeur was two points away from seeing her career-best winning streak come to a close in the second set.
However, the Madrid Open Champion clawed her way back to a victory in just over two hours of play.
Sakkari was untouchable in the first set, staving off a handful of Jabeur passing winners.
Sher won 74 percent of her service points and managed to fend off the lone break point she faced racing to a 1-set lead.
Sakkari’s win was almost a formality when the Greek charged to 5-2 in the second set.
But the Tunisian got hold of one break when Sakkari served for the match at 5-2, and she then broke Sakkari’s serve for a second straight time with a drop volley winner, leveling the set at 5-5.
A forehand pass on Jabeur’s first set point at 6-5 leveled the contest.
With the momentum firmly in her favor, Jabeur stormed to a 5-1 lead in the third set.
She only needed a single match point in that game to complete the improbable comeback after Sakkari fired a service return wide.
Jabeur will face World No.23 Daria Kasatkina in the semifinals as she looks for her second consecutive 1000 crown.
Kasatkina reached the final four in Rome for the first time after advancing past an injured Jil Teichmann, 6-4, 3-2, ret.
Teichmann had to retire due to a left thigh injury.
Jabeur holds a close 3-2 head-to-head lead over Kasatkina.
Sher won their only previous clay-court match just last month in Stuttgart, where she defeated Kasatkina 6-3, 6-3 in the second round.
Jabeur leads the tour with clay-court wins this season with 16 victories on the surface so far in 2022.
Including all surfaces, Jabeur has won 24 tour-level matches, which is the second only to the world No.1 Iga Swiatek who has won 33.
