LOS ANGELES, Aug 25, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Rising star Aryna Sabalenka moved
another step closer to her first WTA title on Friday after easing past fifth
seeded Julia Goerges 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) in the semi-finals.
The 20-year-old Belarusian has rocketed up the WTA Tour rankings this
year, moving from being just inside the top 75 in the world at the end of
2017 to a career high 25 this week.
“I played a lot of three sets this year,” said Sabalenka, who has reached
her third final of 2018. “I’m more fresh, ready for the final.”
Sabalenka has now beaten Goerges both times they have played. She won 73
percent of her first serve points and broke Goerges three times in the one
hour, 45 minute match.
“She’s a great player,” Sabalenka said. “It’s really tough to play against
her because she’s a big server. Sometimes it’s impossible to take her serve.
I mean no chance.
“This is just about the mental game. You have to be focussed 100 percent
on every point.”
Sabalenka booked her spot in Saturday’s final where she will face Spaniard
Carla Suarez Navarro who spent just 34 minutes on the court after Monica Puig
of Puerto Rico quit with an injury.
The two were tied 4-4 in the first set when Puig packed it in.
Sabalenka will be in her fourth career final but first ever meeting
against the 29-year-old veteran Suarez Navarro in the final tune-up event
before the US Open.
“It’s not the first time, so I know what I have to do tomorrow,” she said.
Sabalenka had to come from behind to win the second set against Goerges.
She had her serve broken in the first game but got the break back to level at
4-4.
The pair went to a tiebreak and Sabalenka clinch it in style by winning
seven consecutive points after losing the first three points. “I tried a lot
of different things today,” said Goerges. “I can be very pleased with that. I
did the best that I could.
“I was fighting big-time. But there’s only one winner.”
In the other semi, Suarez Navarro had just rallied from a break down to
get to 4-3 when Puig took a long medical timeout.
Puig returned but was visibly hampered, losing the next game to get to 4-
4. That’s when she made the decision to call it a day and then left the court
in tears.