TOKYO — Former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki produced a spirited fightback to beat fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 and reach the Pan Pacific Open final Saturday.
Awaiting the Dane in Sunday’s Tokyo final will be Japanese teenager Naomi Osaka, who continued her fairytale run with a 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory over Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina.
Wozniacki, Pan Pacific champion six years ago, starts favorite as she goes in search of a 24th career title.
But she had to claw her way back from 3-1 down in both the second and third sets against Radwanska, finally ending the Pole’s resistance on her fourth match point by forcing her into a loose forehand she dumped tamely into the net.
Wozniacki had seen her world ranking plunge to 74th after suffering wrist and ankle trouble, her father even telling a Danish tabloid the 26-year-old could walk away from tennis.
Wozniacki, who carried her nation’s flag at this summer’s Rio Olympics, is looking to maintain her streak of having won a title in every year since 2008.
Tsurenko upsets Jankovic
Defending champion Jelena Jankovic's serving let her down Saturday as she lost the Guangzhou Open final to unseeded Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine.
Tsurenko beat the former top-ranked Serb 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 in a match which lasted almost 2 ½ hours.
Second-seeded Jankovic, who had not dropped a set this week, double-faulted seven times.
Tsurenko won her maiden title in Istanbul in July last year. This was her first title since then.
Niculescu-Arruabarrena final
Fifth seed Monica Niculescu of Romania Saturday sailed through to the Korea Open final to take on Spain’s Lara Arruabarrena for the crown.
The 28-year-old Niculescu, currently the world No. 55, trounced third seed Shuai Zhang of China 6-0, 6-4 in 74 minutes.
The other semifinal saw Arruabarrena, ranked 90th, end the run of Romania’s Patricia Tig, ranked 135th, with a 6-1, 6-2 win.
Wawrinka to meet Zverev
US Open champion Stan Wawrinka and Alexander Zverev of Germany cruised into the Saint Petersburg Open final Saturday beating Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain and the Czech Thomas Berdych, respectively.
Swiss top seed Wawrinka won his first ever meeting with the fourth seeded Bautista Agut 7-6 (10/8), 6-2 in one hour 50 minutes to set up a clash with the German teenager in the final.
The 19-year-old fifth seeded Zverev, who is seeking his maiden ATP title here, beat third seed Berdych 6-4, 6-4 in one hour 20 minutes.
Thiem to face Pouille
World No. 10 Dominic Thiem beat France's Gilles Simon to reach the ATP Metz final Saturday after a come-from-behind 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 win.
It took the 23-year-old Austrian top seed two hours and 17 minutes to beat fourth seed Simon, and the victory sets up a final Sunday against Frenchman Lucas Pouille.
Pouille surprised Belgian second seed David Goffin 7-6 (8/6), 6-1.
In the quarterfinals, Thiem beat sixth-seeded Gilles Muller of Luxembourg 6-4, 7-6 (5), Simon advanced with a 7-6 (2), 6-0 win against Malek Jaziri, Goffin downed No. 8 Nicolas Mahut of France 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-4 and Pouille downed Julien Benneteau 7-6 (2), 4-6, 6-3 in an all-French match. — Agencies
