By Richard Pagliaro | @TennisNow | Friday, June 28, 2024

Donna Vekic delivered a birthday blast in Bad Homburg.

Celebrating her 28th birthday, Vekic pumped up the party powering into her fifth career grass-court final with a 6-0, 7-6(6) win over Viktoriya Tomova.

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Vekic won eight straight games to open today's second semifinal then battled by the Bulgarian in a very tight tiebreaker.

"I think in tennis when you win the first set 6-0, it's sometimes a curse because the second set is almost never going to be the same," Vekic said afterward. "She's a great player and she made me work for it in the end."



The victory vaults Vekic into the final vs. Diana Shnaider.

World No. 47 Shnaider stopped third-seeded American Emma Navarro 7-5, 2-6, 6-3 in today's first semifnal.

The left-handed Shnaider, who won her maiden WTA title at the Thailand Open last February, is into her third career final playing for her second title. 



The final comes a year after Vekic toppled 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina 6-7(1), 6-3, 6-4 in a rousing Berlin upset that snapped Rybakina's nine-match grass-court winning streak.

Vekic has shown grass class in the past.

Vekic, who owns a 4-8 career finals record, is playing for her fifth Tour-level title, including her second grass-court championship. Vekic defeated world No. 8 Johanna Konta 2-6, 7-6(3), 7-5 to win the 2017 Nottingham title on grass.