By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Saturday June 5, 2019
World No.4 Kiki Bertens has reached the final at the Libéma Open at ‘s-Hertogenbosch with a 6-4 6-4 victory over 19-year-old qualifier Elena Rybakina.
27-year-old Bertens reaches her first career final on grass, and the 12th of her career (9-2 lifetime in finals).
Bertens still has not dropped a set this week on her home soil. She faced a talented and powerful young player in Rybakina but was able to notch two breaks of serve in both sets to win with relative comfort.
Bertens broke four times on five opportunities against the promising Kazakh, who entered the week ranked 134 and was playing her first ever WTA main draw on grass. Bertens looked to be cruising to the finish when she broke for 5-2 in the second set but Rybakina broke back and held for 4-5 to put the pressure back on the Dutchwoman.
Bertens will face American Alison Riske in the final. The 28-year-old improved to 39-23 lifetime on grass with a hard-fought 6-4 3-6 7-6(5) victory over Veronika Kudermetova. It was a narrow loss for Kudermetova, who held a break lead twice in the third set and also moved ahead 5-2 in the third-set tiebreaker.
Kudermetova, bidding to reach her first WTA final, served for the match at 5-4 and 6-5, but faltered. Riske, who won the Surbiton ITF $100k event last week on grass, has now reeled off nine straight victories.
Riske is into her 8th career final and has just one win in her previous 7. She has lost her last six finals with her last title coming at Tianjin in 2014.