By Alberto Amalfi | Saturday, September 24, 2016
Japanese wild card Naomi Osaka thrilled home fans fighting past Elina Svitolina, 1-6, 6-3, 6-2, to reach her first WTA final in Tokyo where she'll face Caroline Wozniacki.
Photo credit: Toray Pan Pacific Open
Blown out in the opening set, Naomi Osaka blasted into her first WTA final in Tokyo today.
The Japanese wild card thrilled home fans fighting past Elina Svitolina, 1-6, 6-3, 6-2, to surge into the Toray Pan Pacific Open final.
Tokyo: Wozniacki Rallies Past Radwanska Into Final
The 18-year-old Japanese slashed seven aces and saved eight of 10 break points.
The 66th-ranked Osaka is the lowest-ranked player to reach the Tokyo final since world No.117 Martina Hingis contested the title match in 2006.
It was a double celebration for Osaka. In addition to storming into her first final, she is projected to crack the Top 50 for the first time when the new WTA rankings are released on Monday.
Osaka turned up her aggression considerably in the final set winning nine of 10 points played on Svitolina's second serve and converting two of three break points in the decider.
It was Osaka's fourth career victory over a Top 20-ranked player, including her second Top 20 win this week. Osaka crushed No. 12 Dominika Cibulkova, 6-2, 6-1, in the second round.
Osaka will face former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki in tomorrow's final. It will be the first meeting between the pair.
Wozniacki defeated Agnieszka Radwanska for the fourth consecutive time, 4-6, 7-5, 6-4, to book her spot in the Toray Pan Pacific final. It was Wozniacki's ninth victory in her last 10 matches.
Osaka, who is the first Japanese finalist in Tokyo since Kimiko Date-Krumm in 1995, has dropped just one set in four tournament wins. She's the second straight teenager to reach the final, following Belinda Bencic, who fell to Radwanska in the 2015 title match.
Osaka's run to the final comes a week after 19-year-old Oceane Dodin became the youngest tournament champion on the WTA Tour this season when she won Quebec City.