Top-seeded Anna Chakvetadze of Russia on Friday reached her second final of the season, beating France’s Amelie Mauresmo 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 at the US$600,000 WTA and ATP hard-court event.
In a match featuring 16 double faults and multiple unforced errors, the 21-year-old Russian proved too strong for her 29-year-old opponent.
“I lost a bit of my concentration in the second set. I don’t know why,” Chakvetadze said.
PHOTO: AP
The 11th-ranked Chakvetadze raced to a 5-1 lead and closed out the set two games later in just 36 minutes. Mauresmo extricated herself from a serious jam, turning the tables around in the second set to level the match.
In the ensuing set, the Frenchwoman simply ran out of steam as the Russian sealed the deal.
“I was a little sloppy today,” Mauresmo said. “I’ve just recovered from a cold. I’ve played a lot of matches these last couple of weeks. Tonight, I’m paying for it.”
PHOTO: AP
Mauresmo reached the semi-final of a WTA event for the second time in as many weeks. She made it to the last four in Cincinnati last week.
“I’m a different player now,” said the former World No. 1 who dropped to No. 33 in the WTA rankings. “I’ve rekindled the fire. I’ve found a great feel around the court. I’m really on the right track.”
Mauresmo, who will move to No. 28 in the world after her strong New Haven showing, has not captured a title in 18 months. She won in Antwerp back in February last year, beating now-retired Belgian star Kim Clijsters in the finals.
In the final, Chakvetadze, a winner at the WTA Paris indoor event last February, was to take on Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark, one of the fastest rising stars this season. The 18-year-old heavy-hitter outplayed Alize Cornet of France 7-5, 6-4 earlier.
“I had no energy left,” the 18-year-old Frenchwoman said. “I’ve known Caroline since I was 11. I knew that you have to be 100 percent in order to beat her. It was just not the case today.”
Wozniacki, ranked No. 22 in the world, is having a stellar summer. She became the first Danish player to capture a WTA event in Stockholm earlier this month.
“I feel really confident. It’s been a really good month for me,” Wozniacki said.
On the men’s side, crowd favorite Mardy Fish of the US moved into the final for the second year in a row.
The 26-year-old Fish, seeded No. 8, fired seven aces and connected on 74 percent of his first serves to beat Spanish top-seeded Fernando Verdasco 6-0, 1-6, 6-3 in one hour, 28 minutes
“It was weird,” Fish said. “I started great. I played well. I was aggressive. I had a chance early in the second set to put him away. But it didn’t happen.”
The 35th-ranked Fish, crowned twice on the ATP Tour (Stockholm and Houston), was a runner-up to the US’ James Blake in New Haven last year on his third visit to the US Open tune-up event.
His foe in yesterday’s final was sixth-seeded Croatian Marin Cilic, who finally ended Luka Gregorc’s dream run 6-3, 6-3.
The 24-year-old Slovenian qualifier, ranked 434th in the world, was competing in his first ever ATP semi-final.
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