Top seed Veronika Kudermetova and defending champion Ekaterina Alexandrova will meet in an all-Russian final Sunday at the Libema Open in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands.
Kudermetova defeated Slovakia’s Viktoria Hruncakova 6-3, 6-2 and Alexandrova, the No. 4 seed, was a 6-1, 7-6 (1) winner against No. 7 Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus in Saturday’s semifinals of the WTA 250 grass-court event.
Kudermetova fired seven aces and saved all six break points against Hruncakova. Alexandrova collected six aces and converted all five of her break chances against Sasnovich.
Kudermetova is 2-1 against Alexandrova, who won the last meeting in the semifinals of this tournament last year en route to the title.
Rothesay Open
Katie Boulter and Jodie Burrage will meet in Nottingham, England, on Sunday in the first all-British WTA Tour final since 1977, when Virginia Wade beat Sue Barker in San Francisco.
It’s the first career singles final for both players. Boulter advanced with a 6-4, 7-5 win over another countrywoman, Heather Watson, while Burrage took down France’s Alize Cornet 7-5, 7-5 in her semifinal match at the WTA 250 grass-court tournament.
Boulter overcame a 4-3 deficit in the opening set and dug out of a 4-1 hole in the second set against Watson. Burrage trailed 4-3 in the first set and 5-4 in the second against Cornet.
Boulter, 26, is from Leicester and ranked No. 126 in the world. Burrage, 24, hails from London and is ranked No. 131.
–Field Level Media