Taiwan's Chan Yung-jan reached her first tour final after a hard-earned 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 win over a resilient Yan Zi of China in the semi-finals of the Bangkok Open yesterday.
Chan took the first set but hard-hitting Yan levelled to force a decider.
The feisty Taiwanese wrapped up the match after a string of marathon rallies and a few minor tantrums, where her racket bore the brunt of her anger and needed changing.
PHOTO: AP
"She played so good, I just wanted to keep my focus and play with confidence," Chan said.
"I didn't want to lose. I got angry when I made those stupid mistakes, but now I'm excited to reach the final," she said.
Chan, who has had considerable success in doubles over the past year, faces Italy's Flavia Pennetta in today's final who stunned Wimbledon champion Venus Williams with an impressive 6-4, 7-6 win.
"I think [Pennetta] played really well today," said Chan of her upcoming opponent. "But, who knows tomorrow?"
Pennetta held her nerve as the second-seeded American launched a determined fightback. The Italian emerged victorious in a thrilling second-set tiebreak to end her opponent's hopes of reaching a third straight WTA final.
"That was one of the most beautiful wins of my career," Pennetta told reporters.
"When she came back, I started to think I'd lost my chance to win. I knew it would be a tough match. I was a little nervous but I played good tennis," she said.
"I was against such a great player. I just had to go for it, because anything can happen," Pennetta said.
The seventh seed unleashed some powerful serves and venomous groundstrokes and chased everything the lofty American threw at her, breaking serve at 5-4 to take the first set.
She broke her opponent at 2-2 in the second and, with the help of a succession of double faults and sloppy returns from Williams, opened up a 4-2 cushion.
However, the winner of 36 WTA titles came straight back, whacking a series of topspin-loaded forehands to turn the match around and move 6-5 ahead.
Pennetta levelled to force a tense tiebreak, which she clung on to win 10-8, punching the air with both fists and breathing a huge sigh of relief.
"She played really well, she was eager," a sombre-looking Williams told reporters. "I made a lot of errors, a lot of mistakes. She did a good job of staying in the match."
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