Babos to face Bondarenko in Tashkent final

Timea Babos beat teenager Aryna Sabalenka to reach a second successive WTA final and will face Kateryna Bondarenko in a showdown at the Tashkent Open.

Babos lost to Alison Van Uytvanck in her last tournament in Quebec City but will get a chance to claim her second title of the year in Uzbekistan after defeating Sabalenka 6-1 6-4.

The second seed served 10 aces and broke the 19-year-old outsider's serve twice in each set to prevail in the first meeting between the two.

Former world number two Vera Zvonareva missed out on a place in the final, retiring when trailing Bondarenko 7-6 (9-7) 4-1 on a hectic Friday.

Zvonareva, back on the WTA Tour in 2017 after an absence of almost two years, beat Aleksandra Krunic 6-4 6-3 in a quarter-final which resumed after rain cut short Thursday's action.

Bondarenko got past Kurumi Nara 6-2 5-7 6-4 in the last eight before returning to the court to take charge against Zvonareva, who was unable to complete the match.

The unseeded world number 133 from Ukraine will be looking to end a nine-year wait for a second singles title when she comes up against Babos on Saturday.