Azarenka meets Kirilenko in Kremlin Cup final

MOSCOW, Oct 23, (AFP) - Viktoria Azarenka of Belarus reached her fourth final of the season here on Saturday, defeating Spain’s Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez in the semi-finals of the WTA Kremlin Cup.

The 21-year-old second seed won comfortably 6-3, 6-3 in one hour 16 minutes to record her first win over Sanchez in what was their third head-to-head meeting.

“You never know what to expect of her,” Azarenka said of her opponent.

“I chose the right tactics against Sanchez. I did not allow her to change rhythm as she likes doing and played aggressively on her serve.”

“Sanchez served hard and won many points on her serve. But I was battling for every single point and that was the key to my victory.”

In a tight opening to the tie, games went with serve until the sixth game, when Azarenka, who was playing her seventh semi-final of the year, broke the Sanchez serve to take the opening set in 37 minutes.

In the second set Azarenka, who is ranked 10th in the world, underlined her domination at the hardcourt of Moscow’s Olympic indoor stadium producing two more breaks to win the set and the match. In the second semi-final Russia’s Maria Kirilenko, the sixth seed, cruised into the final by defeating compatriot Vera Dushevina 6-1, 6-1.

Kirilenko, 23, came into the match full of confidence and broke her opponent’s serve twice in the opening set which she took in 33 minutes.