Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and Barbora Strycova yesterday advanced to the doubles final at the Brisbane International, while world No. 2 Karolina Pliskova is to defend her singles title today after edging Naomi Osaka in an epic three-set semi-final.
Reigning Wimbledon champions Hsieh and Strycova defeated unseeded Lyudmyla Kichenok of Ukraine and Yang Zhaoxuan of China 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 in 1 hour, 28 minutes to advance to today’s final at the Queensland Tennis Centre.
The Taiwanese-Czech duo got off to another slow start at Pat Rafter Arena, falling behind 5-2 in the first set before rallying and then breaking Kichenok has she served for the set to set up a tiebreaker.
Photo: screen grab from Facebook
The top seeds then raced to a 5-0 lead in the decider, with back-to-back volleys by Strycova securing the set.
The second set proved much easier for the favorites, with Strycova serving out to love to complete the victory.
The top seeds failed to save the two break points they faced, but converted three of nine, winning 11 of 14 points on their second service to set up a final against home favorite Ashleigh Barty and Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands, who received a walkover in the semi-finals when their opponents withdrew on Thursday.
In the singles, Pliskova triumphed 6-7 (10/12), 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 over Osaka in 2 hours, 48 minutes and is to face eighth seed Madison Keys of the US in the final.
She was forced to come from a set down, then save a match point at 5-6 in the second, before seeing off the reigning Australian Open champion.
The two are no strangers to long matches against each other — Osaka edged Pliskova 6-4 in the third set in the Australian Open semi-finals last year on her way to the title.
“That was one of the best matches that I’ve played on this court,” Pliskova said. “It was a great standard and she’s always tough to play against. I think I did a good job to stay in there after a tough first set, and in the second I just kept fighting and it paid off.”
In the first semi-final, Keys held firm when it counted to defeat two-time Wimbledon champion Kvitova 3-6, 6-2, 6-3.
ASB CLASSIC
AP, AUCKLAND, New Zealand
Jessica Pegula yesterday upset former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki to set up a final against top seed Serena Williams.
The daughter of Buffalo Bills owners Terry and Kim Pegula came from a set down to beat Wozniacki 3-6, 6-4, 6-0 in the Dane’s penultimate tournament before retirement.
“Caroline has had an amazing career and I know she’s retiring so I had to work really hard, but I’m just happy to get the win and I’m pleased to be in the final,” Pegula said. “I definitely knew if I was going to play defensive I wasn’t going to win that battle because she’s the best in the world at that. So I knew I just had to step in and take my chances, and just trust my game.”
The crowd had barely recovered from the shock of Pegula’s victory when Williams joined her in today’s final after she took just 45 minutes to overwhelm third-seeded fellow American Amanda Anisimova 6-1, 6-1.
Anisimova was not born when Williams won the first of her 23 Grand Slam titles and had dreamed of one day playing the superstar, but she met Williams in her most dominant form.
“I was definitely in the zone today,” Williams said. “It was just one of those days. I knew I was playing a really, really great player and an even better person, so I knew I had to come out serious. It feels good. I’ve been working really hard for a couple of years — my daughter’s only two — and I seem to be really hard on myself, but considering everything, it’s really good.”
SHENZHEN OPEN
AFP, SHENZHEN, China
Ekaterina Alexandrova yesterday won her first WTA Tour singles title after the in-form Russian defeated Elena Rybakina in straight sets in the final of the Shenzhen Open.
The fifth seed won 6-2, 6-4 in 73 minutes to begin her season with a bang in southeastern China.
The 25-year-old, ranked a career-high 34th in the world, collapsed to her knees after dismissing Rybakina, the seventh seed from Kazakhstan.
“I didn’t expect the first set to be so easy, so I knew the second set would be so much tougher,” Alexandrova said. “In the second set I think she played well, but after I got the break to make it 4-4, she got a bit nervous. It feels amazing to win my first title, I don’t know what to say. The first title is always special.”
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