Caroline Wozniacki stunned World Number 1 Garbine Muguruza 6-2 6-0 in the semifinal of the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo to qualify for her seventh final of the season. Wozniacki will be bidding to win her third title in Tokyo after lifting this title twice in 2010 and 2016. The Dane had already beaten Muguruza 6-4 2-6 6-2 in the semifinals of this tournament in 2014. Wozniacki converted six of the seven break points
Wozniacki saved a game point in two deuce games in the opening set when she was leading 2-0 after taking a break in the second set. Muguruza got the first break back in the fifth game with a backhand return winner to claw her way back to 2-3. Wozniacki reeled off the final ten games of the match to race away with a comfortable straight-set win. After winning the first set by 6-2 thanks to two more breaks in the sixth and eighth games, Wozniacki hit a passing shot to break in the second game for 2-0. Wozniacki earned two more breaks in the fourth and sixth games to take a bagel win in the second set.
Wozniacki will take on Anastasya Pavlyuchenkova who edged past former world number 1 Angelique Kerber 6-0 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 to reach her first Premier-level final since 2015.
Pavlyucjenkova reeled off the first eight games to race out to a 6-0 2-0 lead and earned points to win the third game of the second set. Kerber clawed her way back by coming back from one set and one break down but Pavlyuchenkova got another break. In the tie-break Kerber got the decisive mini-break at 4-4 and won the final three points to win the tie-break by 7-4.
Pavlyuchenkova went down 0-3 in the third set but bounced back by winning six of the final seven games to clinch a roller-coaster win. Pavlyuchenkova had already beaten Kerber in Monterrey earlier this year.
Pavlyuchenkova is bidding to win her third title in 2017 and her biggest since Moscow Kremlin Cup in 2014.
“It was a lot of drama from both sides. I didn’t expect to start so good, and I was playing really good tennis. Some moments were not so good, but I have to give credit to Angelique. She is a great fighter, and it’s never easy against her. That’s why the score was like this, because she always turns things around. She played a great match but I am really happy to be in the final here. I was already thinking about going to Wuhan. In my head I was booking flights but at the same time I always fight to the last point”, said Pavlyuchenkova.
