Agnieszka Radwanska disposed of a persistante Daniela Hantuchova on her eighth match point to make the final of the San Diego Open with a 6-4 6-2 victory on Saturday.
The 21-year-old Pole will meet two-time grand slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova in Sunday's final, after the powerful Russian stormed to a crushing 6-4 6-0 win over Italy's Flavia Pennetta.
Radwanska, who has been in good touch in the U.S. hardcourt season, darted around the court to wrong-foot her taller opponent and charged into the net at every opportunity. Slovak Hantuchova fought off seven match points in the 20-minute seventh game of the second set, but was bested in the following game by a service winner.
"She was serving so good in that long game I was thinking, 'can you just miss one serve?'" Radwanska, a semi-finalist at last week's Stanford Classic, told reporters. "Thank god I took the last one."
World number 10 Radwanska last played Kuznetsova in the final of the China Open in October which the Russian won 6-2 6-4 to improve her head-to-head record to 6-3 against the Pole. Radwanska is likely to face a similar stiff test in the San Diego final, after Kuznetsova showed glimpses of the form that delivered her the 2009 French Open title in her semi-final.
The 21-year-old Pole will meet two-time grand slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova in Sunday's final, after the powerful Russian stormed to a crushing 6-4 6-0 win over Italy's Flavia Pennetta.
Radwanska, who has been in good touch in the U.S. hardcourt season, darted around the court to wrong-foot her taller opponent and charged into the net at every opportunity. Slovak Hantuchova fought off seven match points in the 20-minute seventh game of the second set, but was bested in the following game by a service winner.
"She was serving so good in that long game I was thinking, 'can you just miss one serve?'" Radwanska, a semi-finalist at last week's Stanford Classic, told reporters. "Thank god I took the last one."
World number 10 Radwanska last played Kuznetsova in the final of the China Open in October which the Russian won 6-2 6-4 to improve her head-to-head record to 6-3 against the Pole. Radwanska is likely to face a similar stiff test in the San Diego final, after Kuznetsova showed glimpses of the form that delivered her the 2009 French Open title in her semi-final.
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