Katerina Siniakova beat defending champion Johanna Larsson 7-5 6-1 to advance to her first career final at the Ericsson Open in Bastad.
Siniakova broke in the second game of the opening set but Larsson broke straight back at deuce for 1-2. Larsson held her serve after a long fourth game before breaking serve at deuce to take a 3-2 lead. Siniakova got two consecutive breaks to win three games in a row. At 3-5 Larsson got one of the two breaks back for 4-5. At 6-5 Siniakova broke again to clinch the first set. The Czech player got a double break in the second and sixth games en route to winning the second set 6-1.
Siniakova started from the qualifying round to reach her first final after losing her previous two semifinals in Moscow and Prague.
“It was a really hard match. I just tried to focus on every point and I think I played really well. Maybe in the beginning I was a little bit nervous, so there were a few more mistakes, but from there my performance was better so I am really happy. It’s really exciting. I think it will be a really tough match, hopefully we will both show great tennis. I think I will be nervous but it’s normal. I will just have to try my best, fight for every point and see how it goes”, said Siniakova.
Siniakova will take on German Laura Siegemund, who was leading 4-6 6-3 4-0 in the all-German semifinal as Julia Goerges withdrew due to a hip injury. Siegemund has reached her second final this year three months after losing to her compatriot Angelique Kerber in Stuttgart.
Goerges got an early break in the opening game. Siegemund broke back in the eighth game to draw level to 4-4 but Goerges got another break to take the first set 6-4.
Siegemund broke in the second game of the second set to race out to a 3-0 lead. Goerges broke back in the fifth game to claw her way back to 2-3. Siegemund broke again to open up a 4-2 lead and held her next two service games to win the second set 6-3 forcing the match to the third set. Siegemund got a double break to take a 4-0 lead before Goerges withdrew from the match.
“It was very tough. She started out very strongly in the first set. I tried to be solid but it was not enough. She was really the better player at the beginning and I needed to step up. I felt good out there today. I felt confident to be a bit more risky and go for my shots”, said Siegemund.
Siniakova and Siegemund will meet for the first time in their careers in tomorrow’s final.
