Daniela Hantuchova took advantage of a wasteful performance by Ana Ivanovic to win 6-7 (7), 6-3, 6-2 on Saturday and reach the Aegon Classic final.
Ivanovic failed to convert 18 break points and let slip a 5-1 lead in the first set before finally taking in on the tiebreaker.
The former-top ranked Serb had two break points in the fifth game of the second set and five more in the seventh before falling away.
Photo: EPA
The fourth-seeded Hantuchova handled the important points better, as well as two rain delays, as she reached her 12th WTA Tour final.
Hantuchova was to face Sabine Lisicki of Germany in yesterday’s final, which has been brought forward by three hours to 10am because of expected rain. Lisicki beat third-seeded Peng Shuai 6-3, 6-1 in the second semi-final.
Ivanovic, who clubbed 17 aces as well as hitting some powerful forehands, looked almost too disappointed to contest the final point, and the result is a blow to hopes that she can use the grass-court season to lift her fortunes.
The 19th-ranked Ivanovic, who won the 2008 French Open, was looking to reach her first final since October.
Lisicki, a 21-year-old who reached the Wimbledon quarter--finals two years ago, outplayed the third-seeded Peng, ensuring that there will not be a Chinese champion in Birmingham for a second successive year. Li Na, the French Open champion, won last year’s title.
Lisicki is on her way back after spending seven weeks on crutches last year with an ankle injury. If Lisicki wins again, it will not only give her the second title of her career, but could increase her chances of being awarded one of the two remaining Wimbledon wild cards.
SONY ERICSSON OPEN
AP, COPENHAGEN
Top-ranked Caroline Wozniacki beat German qualifier Mona Barthel 6-1, 6-2 on Saturday to reach the Sony Ericsson Open final, where she will face fourth-seeded Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic.
Safarova rallied from 6-1, 4-0 down to overcome Petra Martic of Croatia 1-6, 6-4, 6-2 in the semi-finals.
Wozniacki was to defend her hometown title for her fifth WTA title of the year in yesterday’s hard-court final inside Farum Arena.
Safarova won their only previous meeting on the clay in Stuttgart, Germany, last year.
Safarova, who has lost the first set in each of her matches in Copenhagen, looked down and out against 112th-ranked Martic in the second before hitting a string of winners to take 12 of the final 14 games.
Until then, Martic tormented Safarova with expertly executed drop volleys.
The unseeded Croatian looked to be cruising to the final until Safarova found her range and took six games in a row to tie the set score.
Martic left the court after the second set to be treated for a back injury, only to return with a new sense of purpose. With the third set poised at 2-2, however, Martic hit three double faults and lost her service game, then Safarova held her nerve to take the next three games and close out the match.
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