Kiki Bertens will face Jil Teichmann in the Palermo International final after the top seed overcame Paula Badosa in straight sets on Saturday.
The world number five, bidding to win a third title of the year, moved into the championship match with a 6-1 7-5 defeat of the unseeded Spaniard.
Advertisement
Bertens needed eight match points to end Badosa's resistance, advancing despite a first-serve percentage of only 49.
The Dutchwoman broke twice in a one-sided first set and three times in the second, failing to consolidate on two occasions as she made hard work of sending the 119-ranked Badosa packing.
What a finish. What a ROAR!
— WTA (@WTA) July 27, 2019
On the eighth match point, @kikibertens closes out Badosa 6-1, 7-5 to reach the @LadiesOpenPA final. pic.twitter.com/L0TbUdRrPT
Teichmann, the eighth seed, coasted to a 6-3 6-1 thrashing of Liudmila Samsonova.
The world number 82 won her maiden WTA title in Prague in May and will need to pull off a big upset to double her tally.
Top seed Anastasija Sevastova will face the unheralded Katarzyna Kawa in the inaugural Baltic Open final.
Latvian Sevastova saw off Anastasia Potapova 6-4 6-2 in her homeland and will be a resounding favourite to beat WTA main-draw debutant Kawa, who got past Bernarda Pera 6-2 6-3 in Jurmala.
