TENNIS – Italian number 3 seed Camila Giorgi upset local favorite Agniewska Radwanska in straight sets with 6-4 6-2 to advance to the final of the WTA Final at the Katowice Open. Giorgi set up the final against Anna Karolina Schmiedlova from Slovakia who beat Alison Van Uytvanck from Belgium 6-4 6-1 Diego Sampaolo
Camila Giorgi broke World Number 9 Radwanska three times and saved all three break point chances she faced. The Italian will be bidding to win her first WTA title in her second consecutive final in Katowize. Last year she held the match point before losing in three sets against Alizé Cornet.
The first set went on serve until the fourth game when Giorgi brought up two break point chances at 2-2. Giorgi converted on her second chance with her forehand. In the next game Giorgi committed three unforced errors and faced a break point chance. She saved it with her winner and went up 5-3. In the ninth game Radwanska produced a spectacular stop volley. Giorgi hit a backhand winner to close out the first set with 6-4.
The second set went on serve until the fifth game when Giorgi got the break for 3-2. Giorgi saved two break back point chances to hold her serve in the sixth game. Giorgi got another break for 5-2 and served for the set. Giorgi failed to convert on her second match point chances but she clinched her third chance to take her sixth win against a top-10 player.
With her first win over Radwanska, Giorgi scored the sixth Top 10 victory in her career. Before today she beat Sara Errani in Bejing 2012, Caroline Wozniacki in the 2013 US Open, Maria Sharapova at Indian Wells in 2014, Dominica Cibulkova in Rome 2014 and Viktoria Azarenka at Eastbourne in 2014.
Giorgi will face Anna Karolina Schmiedlova from Slovakia who reached her second WTA final by beating Alison Van Uytvanck from Belgium 6-4 6-1 after one hour and 15 minutes. Earlier this year Schmiedlova lost against Sara Errani in the Rio de Janeiro final. Earlier this week Schmiedlova beat Katowice defending champion Alizé Cornet. The first set was decided by one break for Schmiedlova In the fifth game. The Slovakian player cruised to 5-0 in the second set. Van Uytvank won her first game of the second set but Schmiedlova sealed the win in the seventh game.
It will be the first time that Giorgi and Schmiedlova will meet in their careers.
