Suarez-Navarro to Face Kuznetsova in Portugal Finals
The final round is set in Oerias, Portugal, as the semifinals of the Portgual Open came to a close on Friday. Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro had to hold off the surprise of the tournament, 117th ranked Irina-Camelia Begu of Romania, while Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia beat fellow Russian Elena Vesnina to advance into the championship.
Navarro, the 15th-ranked player in the world, got off to a bit of a slow start to begin the match, but used a powerful serve and break point opportunities to climb back into the first set. The Spanish native was able to break Begu’s serve four times, and she had a 71 percent (52/70) first-serve percentage, winning 37 of those first service points.
Despite leading 4-2 in the first set, Begu would battle back to go up 6-5. Navarro would force the tie-break and eventually captured the set 7-6(3). From there on, she cruised, taking the second set 6-1 by playing error-free tennis, as she reached her third straight Portugal Open Final.
Navarro will now meet Svetlana Kuznetsova in the finals, after the 28-year old Russian beat fellow countrywoman Elena Vesnina 6-3, 6-1. Kuznetsova controlled the match from the onset, winning in just over an hour.
The former U.S. Open and French Open champion dominated on her first serve, converting 27 of the 32 points. She also picked up five break points, never allowing Vesnina to work her way back into the match.
The final of the Portugal Open will feature two veterans who have had their share of success on the WTA Tour in their respective careers. Navarro hopes to finally win this event after reaching the championship the past two years, while Kuznetsova attempts to win her first singles title since 2010.
