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By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Saturday June 19, 2021

 
Daria Kasatkina

Daria Kasatkina and Ons Jabeur both came through double duty to reach the final at the Viking Classic in Birmingham.

Photo Source: Getty

Rain lopped off Friday’s quarterfinal action at the Viking Classic in Birmingham, but that didn’t stop the momentum of No.2-seeded Ons Jabeur and No.4-seeded Daria Kasatkina, as each made their way to set a rematch of the 2018 Moscow final.

Tennis Express

It has been an impressive rebound season for Kasatkina, who has won 24 matches and already claimed a pair of titles on tour. The 24-year-old Russian moved past Czech qualifier Tereza Martincova, 6-4, 2-6, 6-0, in the quarterfinals, before taking out CoCo Vandeweghe, 6-2, 6-4.

Vandeweghe, finally working her way back to the tour after a series of injuries, recorded her first Top 50 win since 2018 when she topped Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic 6-4 6-4.

Kasatkina, No.35 in the world this week, improved to 11-2 in three-setters with her win over Martincova.


Jabeur made short work of her opponent in her two matches. The Tunisian, who is also in the doubles final, rifled past Russia’s Anastasia Potapova, 6-4, 6-0, before stopping Great Britain’s Heather Watson, 6-3, 6-3.

"I tried not to waste my time on court, to keep my energy for a long day," said Jabeur, after her second win.

Watson had become the first Brit to reach the last eight at Birmnigham since 1992 earlier in the day, when she defeated Donna Vekic, 6-4, 6-2.

Kasatkina moves into her eighth WTA final and first on grass. Jabeur, who held a 6-2, 4-1 lead over Kasatkina before losing in three to Kasatkina in the Moscow final in 2018, is into her third career final and first on grass. She has yet to claim a WTA title.

 

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