THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
MASON, Ohio -- Nathalie Dechy reached her first final in four years with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 upset of fifth-seeded Amelie Mauresmo in a semifinal of the Western and Southern Financial Group Women's Open on Saturday.
Dechy, who won the last two U.S. Open womens' doubles titles, will play in a final Sunday for the first time since losing the championship match at the 2004 New Haven tournament.
"It's exciting," said Dechy, who estimated that she's played Mauresmo 50 times since the two Frenchwomen met 20 years ago. "It's always tough when you beat a good friend, but I haven't felt this way in singles since 2004."
Dechy went to the net 34 times, converting 25 into points.
"She took every opportunity she had to come in and make me play one more shot or one more passing shot," said Mauresmo, who was playing her first tournament since Wimbledon while coming back from a thigh injury.
After Dechy won the first set, the two players held serve until Mauresmo came up with a backhand passing shot and Dechy sailed a forehand long to give Mauresmo a break in the eighth game, allowing her to serve it out and force the third set.
Dechy rode an early break to a 4-1 lead in the third set, clinching the fifth game with an ace that Mauresmo disputed, one of three calls she questioned during the set. Mauresmo held on with her own break, but Dechy came back with another break, clinching the win when Mauresmo sent a backhand into the net.
"I got a little bit upset," said Mauresmo, who was ranked No. 1 on the WTA Tour in 2004 and 2006. "That's the way it is. I got four matches in this week, which is what I was looking for. It would have been great to play five, but I'll go to New Haven hoping to find a little more rhythm and build up to the Open."
No comments:
Post a Comment