Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina has reached the Brisbane International semi-finals after world No.9 Johanna Konta succumbed to a right hip problem.

Third seed Svitlona was up 1-6 7-6 (8-6) 3-2 when Konta retired hurt on Thursday at Pat Rafter Arena after seeking treatment off-court two games earlier in the third set.

Konta had looked in scintillating touch, saving four break points in a nearly flawless first set that made Svitolina, her doubles partner and the world’s No.6-ranked player, look slightly second rate.

But Svitolina soon sparked to force the second set into a tiebreaker with the clash was heading for an intriguing conclusion, when Sydney-born Brit Konta was forced to pull the pin.

She became the second high-profile player to do so mid-match after world No.2 Garbine Muguruza was injured in her second-round clash against Alaksandra Krunic on Tuesday.

Svitolina will now face defending champion Karolina Pliskova or the 2012 Brisbane champion Kaia Kanepi on Friday for a spot in Saturday’s women’s singles decider.

The injury is a spanner in the works for Konta, who looked to be tuning up beautifully ahead of the Australian Open, where she made the quarter-finals last year and the semis in 2016.

Pliskova and Kanepi are due to meet at Pat Rafter Arena in the first match of Thursday’s night session.

Earlier, Belarusian qualifier Aliaksandra Sasnovich prevailed 3-6 6-2 6-3 over France’s Alize Cornet, who was ranked 50 spots ahead of her at No.88 in the world.

Sasnovich has encountered her own injury dramas but persisted to seal her sixth straight win and fourth by way of comeback.

She will meet Serb Aleksandra Krunic or Latvian seventh seed Anastasija Sevestova in the final four and is optimistic about her chances.

“In the beginning, I couldn’t even imagine that I (would) pass the quallie and be in the semis. So it’s an incredible week for me,” Sasnovich said.

“Everyone can beat everyone. It’s tennis. You know, the ball is round.

“Each day is a new day and anything can happen.”