Top seed Agnieszka Radwanska advanced to the final at Shenzhen with a win over Anna-Lena Friedsam, ranked 95, in straight sets: 6-2, 6-4.
Radwanska has not dropped a set in the tournament. She went up a break in the third game on a double fault by Friedsam of Germany, her only double fault in the set. Friedsam also failed to hold serve in the seventh game giving Radwanska a 5-2 lead. Radwanska won 80% of her service points compared to just 50% for Friedsam in the set. The second set was closer as Radwanska won 66% of her service points versus 50% again for the twenty-one year old German. Friedsam, known as a big server, had only one ace in the match. Radwanska is known for her craftiness and intelligent play and has been voted WTA Fan Favorite for five consecutive years (2011-2015). The Pole holds 17 WTA titles and now won 21 of her last 25 matches. The current world number 5 has been ranked as high as 2, following her finalist appearance at Wimbledon in 2012. Starting on next Monday, Radwanska will climb back to World No.4 and will therefore be seeded in the top seeds at the Australian Open, making sure not to face the first three before the semi-finals.
Alison Riske of American surprised Timea Babos of Hungary in the first semifinal of the day also in straight sets: 6-2, 6-4. They are ranked 97 and 70, respectively. Babos had defeated Riske in both of their previous meetings. Riske got off to a fast start braking Babos’ serve in the first game and then held at love to confirm the break. After trading breaks in the fifth and sixth games, Riske again broke Babos’ serve in the seventh game to go up 5-2, and went on to win the set on the first set point in the next game. Riske broke Babos’ serve again to start the second set. The second set was tighter than the first, but Riske prevailed. She won 63% of her service points compared to 50% for Babos in the match. Riske is seeking her second WTA title (she won at Tianjin in October 2014).
Radwanska and Riske met last year in the round of 64 at Indian Wells with Radwanska winning easily.
