Pavlyuchenkova fights back to reach Portugal Open final

OEIRAS, Portugal (AFP) –

Russian player Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova returns the ball to Swiss player Romina Oprandi during the women’s singles semi-final match of the Portugal Open tennis tournament in Oeiras on May 3, 2013. Pavlyuchenkova fought back from a first-set whitewash to beat Oprandi prevail 0-6, 6-3, 6-1 to reach the women’s final of the ATP/WTA Portugal Open.

Third seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova fought back from a first-set whitewash to beat unseeded Romina Oprandi prevail 0-6, 6-3, 6-1 on Friday to reach the women’s final of the ATP/WTA Portugal Open.

The 19th-ranked Russian winner will bid for her second trophy this season after Monterrey, when she plays fourth seed and 2012 finalist Carla Suarez Navarro, who beat Estonian defending champion Kaia Kanepi 6-4, 6-1 in 66 minutes.

The Spanish winner benefitted from seven double-fault off of her Estonian opponent. “It’s great to be in my second final here, it was a good match for me today.

“I did have last year’s final in my mind. She started strong and I was a bit nervous. I served well and kept my intensity in the important moments.”

Pavlyuchenkova said that after winning a quarter-final the day before which took almost three hours, she was just not fully recovered – especially with a morning start.

“I don’t like to complain, but it was tough to start the match. I didn’t recover well. But I’m happy with how I responded.

“I turned it around, kept believing and kept playing my game.”

Pavlyuchenkova had few early answers for Oprandi’s blistering claycourt game in the quick opening set on a sunny spring day after a week of cold.

But once she hit her stride, the seed began to dominate as the initial flush of success faded for the 53rd-ranked challenger, playing only the third WTA semi-final of her career.

Oprandi saved match points as Pavlyuchenkova tried to serve out for victory, losing serve in the process for 6-1 in final set. But a game later it was all over when she broke back.

“I’m not completely happy with my game, especially with how I started today,” said Pavlyuchenkova, who will play her first career final on clay after winning four on hardcourt including Monterrey three times.

“But I have some positives in that I won the match.”

Oprandi came to the court after beating Russia’s French and US Open winner Svetlana Kuznetsova in the quarter-finals at the Estadio Nacional.

Her previous best showings were WTA semi-finals in Palermo in 2010, and ‘s-Hertogenbosch a year later. She will return to the ranking top 50 after dealing with injury in 2012.

Victory in Saturday’s final would make Pavlyuchenkova the second Russian champion here after Maria Kirilenko five years ago.