PARIS, June 7 (Reuters): Former French Open runner-up Simona Halep staged a remarkable fightback and saved a match point to reached the semi-finals with a 3-6 7-6(6) 6-0 win over Elina Svitolina on Wednesday. Romanian third seed Halep trailed by a set and 5-1 against the fifth seed but somehow dug herself out of a hole before storming to victory. Ukrainian Svitolina saved four set points at 5-6 in the second and then had a match point in the tiebreak which Halep saved with a brave backhand winner that kissed the sideline. Halep clinched the second set with a forehand winner and swept through the decider as Svitolina's spirit sagged, sealing victory with an ace. Halep will play second-seeded Czech Karolina Pliskova in the semi-finals, while in the other half of the draw Latvian teenager Jelena Ostapenko will take on Swiss Timea Bacsinszky. All four players are seeking a first grand slam title. World number three Pliskova reached the French Open semi-finals with a 7-6(3) 6-4 victory against Caroline Garcia, ending the French presence in the main draw. The second-seeded Czech, who had never got past the second round here before, mastered windy conditions to set up a meeting with either Halep.
