Yesterday’s doubles results:
• Chan Yung-jan and Chuang Chia-jung (Taiwan) defeated O. Kalashnikova (Georgia) and A. Panova (Russia) 6-1, 6-4
• Y. Basuki (Indonesia) and R. Zalameda (US) defeated Chan Chin-wei (Taiwan) and Yan Zi (China) 6-4, 6-2
■BALI
AFP, DENPASAR, INDONESIA
French top seed Marion Bartoli will face compatriot Aravane Rezai in the Bali Tournament of Champions’ title clash today.
Top seed Bartoli survived a late fight by Japanese veteran Kimiko Date Krumm to win their semi-final 6-1, 6-3 yesterday.
Later, Rezai had a smoother ride against Spain’s Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, beating her 6-2, 6-3 in 64 minutes.
Bartoli has won both encounters against Rezai, the latest just over a month ago in the second round in Tokyo.
At first, Bartoli, the only seed remaining from the 12 women who began the week in this tropical resort, looked like she would need less than an hour to wrap up with ease her rout of 39-year-old Date Krumm, the oldest woman on the WTA Tour.
To complicate matters, however, Date Krumm suddenly showed some of the form that made her a star more than a decade ago.
The Japanese veteran, who retired a dozen years ago and then revived her career last season, denied Bartoli a match-winner in the sixth game of the second set, with the Frenchwoman leading a set and 5-1.
Date proceeded to find new life with a break for 2-5 and a hold in the next game.
Bartoli, the 2006 finalist when Bali was a regular WTA event, saved two break-points and came through on a third match-point a game later to close out victory in 1 hour, 25 minutes.
The 25-year-old French winner fired seven aces and broke six times in the showdown of generations.
The event features the 10 highest ranked players who have won a WTA International title this year, but who did not compete in the WTA Championships in Qatar, which ended last weekend. Two wild-cards were also included.
Bartoli, a Wimbledon finalist in 2007, is seeking her third title of the season, after Stanford and Monterrey.
Rezai was undaunted by seven aces from Martinez Sanchez, breaking four times, while never facing a break-point.
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