By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Saturday, September 21, 2024

Daria Kasatkina continues to rise in her Seoul debut.

The top-seeded Kasatkina conquered Diana Shnaider 6-3, 6-4 to charge into her fifth WTA 500-level final of the year at the Korea Open.

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Kasatkina, who won the Eastbourne championship on grass in June, will play for her second title of the year and eighth career championship when she faces third-seeded Beatriz Haddad Maia in Sunday's final.



Rain washed out Friday's schedule compelling Kasatkina and Haddad Maia to play two matches today.

World No. 13 Kasatkina led Emma Raducanu, 6-1, in today's quarterfinal when the 2021 US Open champion retired with a foot injury.

It was Kasatkina's third win over the 70th-ranked Briton in as many meetings and sent her into the semifinal vs. Shnaider, who fended off fifth-seeded Marta Kostyuk 7-6(7), 6-3 in today's quaterfinals.



The left-handed Haddad Maia knocked off the Kudermetova sisters in succession today.

First, Haddad Maia stomped lucky loser Polina Kudermetova 6-2, 6-1 in the quarterfinals.

Returning to court, Haddad Maia rallied from 1-3 down in the opening set stopping Veronika Kudermetova 6-4, 6-4.

The third-seeded Brazilian reached her second final in her last three events. Haddad Maia, who was runner-up to Mccartney Kessler in last month's Cleveland final, reached the US Open quarterfinals earlier this month losing to Karolina Muchova. Haddad Maia has won 11 of her last 13 matches heading into Sunday's final.

World No. 17 Haddad Maia has beaten Kasatkina in two of their prior three meetings. Kasatkina edged Haddad Maia 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(2) in the Abu Dhabi semifinals earlier this year.