By Chris Oddo | Friday September 30, 2016
Nao Hibino moved into the Tashkent final and will bid for a successful title defense against Kristyna Pliskova in the final.
Photo Source: Tashkent Open
Nao Hibino will look to defend her Tashkent title on Saturday when she faces a suddenly streaking Kristyna Pliskova in the final.
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Hibino first cracked the ATP’s Top 100 after winning Tashkent last year, and she has become a fixture on tour in 2016, topping out at No. 56 in the rankings this January.
Hibino notched her biggest career win at the Olympics when she took out World No. 25 Irina-Camelia Begu, but the 21-year-old has not played a WTA final since her maiden title in Tashkent last year.
Hibino has yet to drop a set this week, and she knocked off Czech Denisa Allertova, 6-2, 6-3, on Friday, winning five of six break points to earn her 18h victory of the season.
Pliskova, the twin sister of U.S. Open finalist Karolina Pliskova, reached her first WTA final with a 7-6(2), 6-0 win over Kateryna Kozlova. Pliskova hit eight aces and saved four of six break points.
The 24-year-old World No. 100 is in good form, having won the 125K Dalian title in September.