This story was originally published by Dead Spin
No. 6 seed Daria Kasatkina of Russia reached the Rothesay International final for the second straight year, rallying Friday for a 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 win against No. 3 seed Jasmine Paolini of Italy.
Kasatkina, who fell to Madison Keys in last year’s final, won six of the final seven games to finish the match in two hours and 16 minutes. She saved 10 of 14 break points and broke Paolini’s serve five times, including the final game in the second set.
Canada’s Leylah Fernandez also won a three-setter to make the final, dethroning the fourth-seeded Keys 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in Friday’s other semifinal in two hours and three minutes.
Bad Homburg Open
Two unseeded players will fight for the title in Germany as Donna Vekic of Croatia prepared to face Russia’s Diana Shnaider on Saturday.
Vekic defeated Bulgaria’s Viktoriya Tomova 6-0, 7-6 (6) and Shnaider knocked out No. 3 seed Emma Navarro 7-5, 2-6, 6-3 in Friday’s semifinals.
Vekic, who won the first eight games before Tomova rallied to force the tiebreak, saved four of five break points and finished with 10 aces. Shnaider saved a whopping 13 of 17 break points against Navarro.
–Field Level Media
