Karolina Pliskova has a history with Angelique Kerber. They met each other in a final less than two months ago and were to do so again at Stanford.
Pliskova advanced to her WTA Tour-best fifth final of the year, beating American Varvara Lepchenko 6-2, 7-5 on Saturday at the Bank of the West Classic.
“This is the best match I’ve played here so far,” Pliskova said. “I can still play better. I can change a few things, but I have found some level where I can play. I’ve improved a lot mentally, and I’m going for every shot.”
Photo: AP
Pliskova averaged 169kph on her first serve and had five aces en route to winning 81 percent of her first-serve points.
“My serve is solid now,” she said. “She [Lepchenko] was struggling with the return. I’m happy I closed it out in two sets. This couldn’t be a better start to the hardcourt season, and I hope I can build off this.”
Lepchenko, who knocked off top-seeded Carolina Wozniacki in the second round, committed 50 errors, 24 of them unforced.
Pliskova was looking for her first career Premier-level tour win, and Kerber, who had three titles this year, was in her way again.
The German fifth-seed advanced to the final with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over eighth-seeded Elina Svitolina of Ukraine in a match that lasted 55 minutes.
The fourth-seeded Pliskova, from the Czech Republic, is to make her top-10 debut when the rankings are released today.
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