Eighth-seeded Barbora Zahlavova Strycova reached her first WTA final by routing Patty Schnyder of Switzerland 6-2, 6-0 in the Prague Open semi-finals on Saturday.
The 24-year-old Czech needed just 53 minutes to dismiss Schnyder, a former top 10 player.
Zahlavova Strycova said it was “an unbelievable feeling” to win and that she “played almost without errors” against Schnyder.
PHOTO: REUTERS
“She plays a bit slow but clever tennis, so I had to be patient and it paid off,” the 52nd-ranked Zahlavova Strycova said about Schnyder.
Zahlavova Strycova was due to face seventh-seeded Agnes Szavay in yesterday’s final after the Hungarian beat Czech Lucie Hradecka 6-2, 6-4.
The 49th-ranked Szavay will be battling for her fifth career title after winning in Budapest on July 11.
■PALERMO OPEN
AP, PALERMO, Italy
Top-seeded Flavia Pennetta of Italy was on course for a successful defense of the Palermo Open title after a straight-sets win over Julia Goerges in the semi-finals on Saturday.
Pennetta, ranked 12th in the world, beat the German 6-0, 6-4, and was due to meet fifth-seeded Kaia Kanepi in yesterday’s final.
Kanepi ended the crowd’s hopes of an all-Italian final when she beat wild card Romina Oprandi 6-3, 6-2.
It continues the Estonian’s impressive recent form after she reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon.
■SWEDISH OPEN
AP, BASTAD, Sweden
Robin Soderling came from a set behind Saturday to reach the final of the Swedish Open, where he will face Spain’s Nicolas Almagro.
Top-seeded Soderling, who won the clay-court championship last year, beat David Ferrer of Spain 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.
“I felt already this morning that I was playing better, and the more the match went on, the better I felt,” said Soderling, who struggled to beat unseeded Andreas Seppi in Friday’s quarter-finals. “It’s great to be in the final again.”
Ferrer started well, breaking Soderling in the third game of the match and went on to win the first set.
The big-serving Swede, who hit 11 aces in the match, came back to win after breaking Ferrer once in the second and then twice again in the third.
Fourth-seeded Almagro swept compatriot Tommy Robredo 6-1, 6-3 on center court in only 68 minutes to advance to yesterday’s final.
Two-time champion Robredo was no match for Almagro, who broke his serve three times in the first set. Almagro didn’t give up any break points during the match on another warm day in Bastad, southern Sweden.
Almagro beat Soderling the last time the pair met, winning in straight sets at this year’s Madrid Masters.
■MERCEDES CUP
AP, STUTTGART, Germany
Fifth-seeded Albert Montanes of Spain beat compatriot Juan Carlos Ferrero for the first time in his career to reach the Mercedes Cup final on Saturday.
Montanes, bidding for his second ATP clay-court title of the season, defeated former French Open champion Ferrero 6-3, 7-6 (6).
Montanes had lost his previous five matches against Ferrero.
In yesterday’s final he was due to take on third-seeded Gael Monfils of France.
Monfils reached his first ATP final of the season by knocking off unseeded Spaniard Daniel Gimeno-Traver 6-4, 4-6, 6-0.
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