Chakvetadze outlasts Mirza to reach Cincinnati tennis final
Monday, 23 July 2007
CINCINNATI (United States), Jul 22 (AFP): Top seed Anna Chakvetadze outlasted India's Sania Mirza 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 Saturday to reach the final of the 175,000-dollar WTA hardcourt tournament here.
The Russian, ranked eighth in the world, had dropped just one set prior to Saturday's semi-final, but she was pushed to the limit by Mirza.
The third seed from India, who was making her first semi-final appearance here after quarter-final exits each of the past two years, went to a third set for the fourth time in as many matches.
Chakvetadze, though, raced out to a 4-0 lead in the decisive set and now will look to capture her third title of the year.
She has already won titles this year in Hobart, Australia, and at S'Hertogenbosch.
In the other semi-final, seventh-seeded Akiko Morigami of Japan advanced with a 6-7 (8/10), 6-4, 6-3 victory over Uzbekistan's Akgul Aman-muradova.
A 2005 finalist here, Morigami upset second-seeded Patty Schnyder in the quarters on Friday.
Morigami, ranked 61st in the world, is making her second trip to the final here after outlasting Amanmuradova, a qualifier who is ranked 141st in the world.
The Russian, ranked eighth in the world, had dropped just one set prior to Saturday's semi-final, but she was pushed to the limit by Mirza.
The third seed from India, who was making her first semi-final appearance here after quarter-final exits each of the past two years, went to a third set for the fourth time in as many matches.
Chakvetadze, though, raced out to a 4-0 lead in the decisive set and now will look to capture her third title of the year.
She has already won titles this year in Hobart, Australia, and at S'Hertogenbosch.
In the other semi-final, seventh-seeded Akiko Morigami of Japan advanced with a 6-7 (8/10), 6-4, 6-3 victory over Uzbekistan's Akgul Aman-muradova.
A 2005 finalist here, Morigami upset second-seeded Patty Schnyder in the quarters on Friday.
Morigami, ranked 61st in the world, is making her second trip to the final here after outlasting Amanmuradova, a qualifier who is ranked 141st in the world.