Agnieszka Radwanska beat Daniela Hantuchova to reach the final of the San Diego Open where she will now play Svetlana Kuznetsova.
In-form Pole to play Kuznetsova on Sunday
Agnieszka Radwanska reached the final of the San Diego Open on Saturday but needed eight match points before eventually disposing of Daniela Hantuchova 6-4 6-2.
The 21-year-old Pole will meet two-time grand slam winner Svetlana Kuznetsova in Sunday's final, the Russian having earlier eased to a 6-4 6-0 win over Italy's Flavia Pennetta.
Radwanska has shown good form during the US hardcourt season so far and gave a fleet-footed display against Hantuchova, charging into the net at every opportunity.
The Slovak fought off seven match points in the 20-minute seventh game of the second set, but Radwanska held serve in the following game to win.
"She was serving so good in that long game I was thinking, 'can you just miss one serve?'" Radwanska, a semi-finalist at last week's Stanford Classic, said. "Thank god I took the last one."
The world number 10 has a 3-6 record against Kuznetsova, who beat her 6-2 6-4 the last time the two played to win the China Open in October.
Imposing
If Kuznetsova's performance against Pennetta is anything to go by, Radwanska might find herself facing a similarly imposing opponent.
The Russian mixed up speeds and spins to stifle her opponent, and deployed slick service returns and her forehand to break the 15th-ranked Italian five times.
"I served really bad and she was just more powerful than me," said Pennetta, who has yet to beat Kuznetsova in four meetings. "She was always getting on top of my ball and had me running all the time. She has a strong base."
Kuznetsova, who sealed her win with a cracking forehand return, fell to 21st in the world - her lowest ranking in six years - after an early exit at Wimbledon.
However, a period spent training at the Russian seaside resort of Sochi seems to have helped her regain her touch.
"I'm playing better, but I'm far from where I want to be," she said. "I lost my game a little. I don't see myself playing like Vera (Zvonareva) where everything is flat.
"Like that, I feel beatable. I need to use my spin and play the right shots at the right times."
