Wimbledon finalist Karolina Pliskova rolled into the final of the WTA hardcourt tournament in Montreal on Saturday with a 6-3 6-4 victory over top seed Aryna Sabalenka, who apologised for her immature reaction to the loss.
The win was a repeat for the fourth-seeded Czech, who defeated her Belarus rival in three sets two months ago in their All England Club semi-final.
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Pliskova will fight for the Montreal title against Italy’s Camila Giorgi, who needed a deciding set to see off Australian Open quarter-finalist Jessica Pegula 6-3, 3-6, 6-1.
Pliskova lost to Giorgi last month in the third round of the Tokyo Olympics. “It’s an amazing feeling to be in another final,” Pliskova said. “I was super-solid today “I did what I needed to win. I used my brain and played smart. She was missing a bit too much, I’m quite happy with the performance.” Pliskova broke Sabalenka four times and saved two of the three break points she faced.
Sabalenka, who flung her racquet in disgust at the end of the second set, was mortified by her conduct and apologised later on Instagram, including for a rushed handshake at the net where she barely acknowledged Pliskova.
“My behaviour today was not professional. I want to apologise for this,” she wrote. “@KarolinaPliskova was better today.”
“PS sorry for that handshake … I just completely lost my mind in that moment,” she added with a face palm emoji.
Pliskova fired 10 aces for a total of 267 this season, putting her within touching distance of Sabalenka’s tour-leading 270.
The Czech won her 39th match of the season, top of the table on the WTA. But even though she has won 12 of her past 13 matches, she’s seeking her first title of the season.
Giorgi has been on a roll in recent weeks, winning her 15th WTA match from 19 played as she moved into the first 1000-level final of her career.
“Reaching this final means a lot,” Giorgi said. “I’m having a great week, all my matches have been tough.
“I knew I was playing very well. Even losing the first set, I never felt the match was in danger as I knew I was playing very well.
“The first set went very well. Losing the second … it can happen in tennis. In the third I came back even more focused.
“The final will be another great match, as usual I will just focus on my game.”
The 71st-ranked Italian threatened to emerge a straight-set winner as she came from 4-1 down in the second, but Pegula fought off the attack to take it into a third before exiting.
Pliskova is determined to get past Giorgi in the title match after her loss in Tokyo.
“Of course I lost to her already this year, everybody knows that. “But this is a final, it’s a different kind of match than a first or second round.
“I have nothing to lose. I’m playing quite solid this week. I’ll just try to do my best and let’s see.”
“Maybe I’ll be third time lucky in finals this season,” added the Czech, who fell in the finals at Wimbledon and Rome.
With AFP
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