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Maria Kirilenko Sets Up Title Clash With Koryettseva: Sunfeast Open

Saturday 22nd of September 2007
Fourth seed Russian Maria Kirilenko set up a title clash with Mariya Koryettseva of Ukraine in the final of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tier III Sunfeast Open 07 here Sunday. The match that Kirilenko dished out against second seed Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia Saturday would be remembered for its tremendous rearguard action. The Russian won 4-6, 6-2, 6-1, a sweet revenge for the defeat on all three occasions the duo met before.

In the first semi-final Koryettseva overcame a higher ranked Anne Keothavong to book her first-ever WTA tour final berth at the Sunfeast Open. The 164th ranked Ukrainian got past the 144th ranked Briton 7-6 (7-3), 6-3. The Kirilenko-Hantuchova match's first set saw both the seeds holding on to their serves fighting of deuce in almost every game, till the ninth.The ninth saw a moment's aberration from Kirilenko, who after fighting off a love-40 deficit top 30-40 on her serve sent a forehand long to hand over the set virtually to Hantuchova. The lanky Slovak made no mistake in holding serve to take the first set 6-4. The second set saw a new and improved Kirilenko. Hantuchova tried out everything - forehand passing shots and a disguised drop-volley. But the Russian, ranked 35 in WTA list, was up to it.

A treat to watch was a drop-volley from Hantuchova, which she countered with one of her own that left the Slovak stranded in the middle of nowhere. It also earned her first break in the second set in the second game. There after it was no looking back. Kirilenko broke her again in the fourth game and eighth to take the set. Hantuchova did come back briefly with a break of her own in the seventh, but it was too late in the second set that went the Russian way 6-2. The third set saw the senior pro on tour a helpless spectator as Kirilenko peppered her with passing shots and an array of back hands that she had not flushed before. With just the Beijing Open title on tour, she will be looking for one. 'I would like to win the final tomorrow. I had so much of support here.

'I was a bit nervous in the first set and after I lost it I said to myself, Maria what is wrong and I worked on my strengths,' Kirilenko said. Hantuchova said, 'I will be heading for Luxemburg from here. I am a bit tired and maybe did not play to my potential. But it has been a good year and I want to keep the momentum going.' The first semi was a slugfest with Koryettseva and Keothavong firing forehands from the baseline, waiting for the other to blink. While Koryettseva broke Anne in the first, fifth and 11th game, Keothavong did the honours in the second, eighth and 12th game. It was like a test of winners along the baseline. Later Koryettseva said, 'We were comparing our forehands to see who got the better one.'

Weeded with unforced errors, both players in their first ever WTA Meet semi-final showed signs of nerves. With forehands going wide of the line and drop-volleys landing on the net, it looked like the match would go on unendingly with their serves not coming good also. Koryettseva said, 'I had a problem with few line calls and was finding it difficult to concentrate in the early part of the game as my left thigh gave me a problem.'

But that changed after she took a two-love lead in the second set. 'I took a medical break and attended to my thighs. I realized I was concentrating on my leg more than my game. But it is okay now and hopefully it will be better tomorrow.' But going up 2-0 in the second set was not enough, as the never-say-die spirit of Keothovang was on display again as she broke her in the third game with a couple of spectacular back-hands.

But Koryettseva, who has two doubles WTA title at Palermo, Italy, showed more fire in her belly and broke back fifth game to seal the fate of the tie. Elated at reaching her first ever final, Koryettseva wants to come back here again next year. Asked who she would like to meet in the final, she said, 'Either of Maria Kirilenko and Daniela Hantuchova would spice up the final.' One thing she would like to improve on her first ever final? 'Self-belief. The belief that I can do it.'