Donna Vekic feels comfortable playing in Tashkent, as it is here where she first made a name for herself three years ago at the age of 16 when she made a run from qualifying all the way to the final. This year she will have a second bite of the cherry to claim the title in Uzbekistan, which would be the second of her short career.
Serving has been a major issue for Vekic all week and today she notably reduced her double fault count to four, which in normal circumstances wouldn’t be anything to shout about, but when you hit sixteen in the previous round it can be classified as a huge step forward. The Croatian knocked out Rodina 7-5, 6-1 after a tight first set which took everything out of her opponent who barely put up any resistance in the second set.
“It’s a great feeling to be in the final and I’m thrilled, but I’m happier that I’m playing well and regaining my confidence”, said Vekic.
In the final se whill meet Hibino, who has cracked the top 100 for the first time in her career thanks to this run in Tashkent. The Japanese player displayed some impressive tennis to defeat Jovanovski, who many felt was the strongest player left in the draw and who was defending her title, taking her down 6-3, 6-4.
“I was nervous today before the match playing on such a big stage, but I’m very happy and I think lucky. It’s like a dream, I can’t believe I made the final. I played good and aggresive and I’m happy to have won”, stated Hibino.
This will be the first meeting between two players looking to claim their first WTA title.
