By Tennis Now | Saturday, September 22, 2018
Power players will collide with the Tokyo title on the line.
Home favorite Naomi Osaka crushed Camila Giorgi, 6-2, 6-3, rolling into her second Toray Pan Pacific Open final in the last three years and extending her winning streak to 10 matches.
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Osaka will play fourth-seeded Karolina Pliskova in Sunday's final.
Continuing to show her strength going the distance, Pliskova fought off Donna Vekic 6-2, 4-6, 6-3.
“It was another long one today!” Pliskova said. “I feel like I’m improving in every match, but the opponents are always more tough. That’s normal in semifinals, there’s no easy opponents."
Reigning US Open champion Osaka cracked nine aces and permitted just eight points on serve dispatching Giorgi, who took down two-time defending champion Caroline Wozniacki en route to the final.
"I think [my serve] got me out of a lot of trouble today," Osaka said. "She was playing well, and I served well. I really wanted to get to the final."
It is Osaka's third final of the season.
The 20-year-old Japanese is bidding to become the first Tokyo home champion since Kimiko Date defeated Lindsay Davenport in the 1995 final.
Pliskova is playing to become the first Czech champion in Tokyo since Fed Cup teammate Petra Kvitova conquered Angelique Kerber to win the 2013 title.
Osaka has split two prior meetings with Pliskova, defeating the Czech, 6-2, 6-3, en route to the Indian Wells title in March after Pliskova prevailed in their first meeting at the 2017 Rogers Cup in Toronto.