Danish teenager Clara Tauson saved five match points to beat Liudmila Samsonova 4-6 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 in the semifinal of the Courmayeur Ladies Open.
Tauson has reached her third final on indoor hardcourts. She is undefeated in all her finals, as she won two WTA singles titles in Lyon and Luxembourg.
Tauson won 77% of her first service points and converted four of seven break points. The was decided in the tie-break of the second set, when Tauson saved five match points.
Samsonova went down a break to trail 1-3, but she pulled back on serve to draw level to 3-3. The Russian player converted her third break point with a forehand winner in the eighth game to draw level to 4-4. Samsonova served out the first set at love with a forehand winner and three aces.
Samsonova held four match point at 6-2 in the tie-break of the second set. Tauson saved all of them and won five consecutive points to earn a set point at 7-6.
Samsonova fended it off with an ace and earned her fifth match point at 8-7. Tauson saved it with an unreturned serve. Tauson earned her seocnd set point at 9-8 with a strong serve and sealed the set after a wide forehand from Samsonova.
In the third set Tauson earned a 3-1 lead, but Samsonova pulled back on serve to draw level to 3-3. Tauson earned another break to take a 5-4 lead. Tauson hit three consecutive aces to earn three match points. Tauson converted her first chance with a winner to seal the third set 6-4.
“I thought I was finished in the tie-break. I just tried to put the ball in the court because she is such a big server. I was just trying to guess where she serving at the end, and I don’t know what happened”, said Tauson.
Former top 20 player cruised past Jasmine Paolini 6-2 6-0 avenging her defeat against the Italian player in their only previous head-to-head match in the Cincinnati qualifying round. The Croatian player has not dropped a set this week.
Vekic missed three months after undergoing knee surgery and dropped to world number 97 in the WTA Ranking. She has reached her first WTA singles final since she finished runner-up in Nottingham 2019.
Vekic went up a 3-0 lead with a break in the second game of the first set. Paolini broke back at love in the fifth game for 2-3, but Vekic broke twice to win the opening set 6-2.
She broke serve with a return winner to take a 2-0 lead and held serve for 3-0 with three aces at the start of the second set. Paolini earned four game points at 0-5, but Vekic converted her second break point to take a bagel in the second set.
“I am going to make a plan with my coach, and try to play my game. Hopefully it will be good enough tomorrow”, said Vekic.
