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Petra Kvitova and Eugenie Bouchard will play a rematch of their Wimbledon final when they meet in the climax of the $2.4 million WTA Wuhan Open after winning their semi-finals Friday.
World number three Kvitova is vying for her third title of the year and will seal a place in the end of season championships in Singapore if she wins the final of the inaugural tournament.
The Czech advanced in the semis at the expense of Elina Svitolina, who put in another feisty performance which defied her lowly 34th place in the rankings.
Kvitova broke serve in the sixth game to lead 4-2 in the first set, and maintained her two game advantage to finish the opener 6-4.
The pair traded breaks in the second set and were 5-5 until Kvitova raced through the 11th game to serve for the match.
She appeared to be poised for a straightforward win with the comfort of two match points at 40-15, but Svitolina set up a tense end to the match by clawing herself level and then forcing two double faults from Kvitova which gave her break point.
But any hopes Svitolina had that her opponent would lose the coolness that has been the trademark of her march into the semis evaporated when Kvitova took two quick points to win the match.
The Ukrainian had shown great determination in Wuhan, winning sets after coming back from 5-0 down against German Sabine Lisicki in the second round and 4-1 down against world number eight Angelique Kerber in the quarters.
But Kvitova proved to be a step too far for the 20-year-old.
Kvitova will join the top eight players for the Singapore finale if she wins in Wuhan. Those who have already made it to the WTA Finals include world number one Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova (4) and Simona Halep (2).
The 24-year-old will meet world number nine Bouchard in Wuhan for a replay of their Wimbledon final, which Kvitova won convincingly 6-3, 6-0.
Kvitova has also won in New Haven last month, her second title of the 2013 season.
“It feels good, for sure… I`m glad that I`m in the final again,” she said after defeating Svitolina.
“Today I think it was really great match. I mean, I felt pretty well and we had great tennis out there I think.”
Canadian Bouchard, the sixth seed in Wuhan, beat eighth-seeded Wozniacki in their semi-final match 6-2, 6-3.
Both players — who are also chasing points to make the WTA Finals – played an aggressive game.
Wozniacki appeared to have sustained a minor hamstring injury which she received treatment for in the fourth game of the second set.
The first break point of the set came two games later, which Bouchard survived, and the Canadian then broke Wozniacki to make it 4-3 before going on to clinch the match.
The Wuhan Open, in the central province of Hubei features the world`s top 20 women players, with the exception of recently-retired local hero Li Na.
AFP
