Kirilenko beats Cirstea in Pattaya semifinal
PATTAYA, Thailand (AP) - Maria Kirilenko of Russia edged Sorona Cirstea of Romania 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 to reach the final of the Pattaya Open on Saturday.
The 26-year-old Kirilenko will bid for her sixth career title and first since 2008.
Kirilenko broke Cirstea in the fifth game of the first set to take a 3-2 lead and cruised the rest of the way, clinching the set with an ace.
Cirstea rallied for a 4-2 lead in the second, but Kirilenko adjusted for a 5-4 lead. The Romanian evened the match when Kirilenko double-faulted and drove a forehand long.
In the third, Kirilenko made the most of a break, holding on to win the deciding set.
Kirilenko will face third-seeded Daniela Hantuchova in the final after the Slovakian beat qualifier Hsieh Su-wei of Taiwan 6-4, 6-1.
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