WTA Prague: Jil Teichmann and Karolina Muchova seek the first WTA title
Two young players ranked outside the top-100 who reached the main draw as a qualifier and with a wild card will fight for the title in Prague, the first in a career for both competitors. The 21-year-old Swiss Jil Teichmann is through to the first WTA final, starting from the rock bottom of the draw to score the best result in a career with a dominant 6-3, 6-0 triumph over the 9th seed Barbora Strycova in an hour and 16 minutes. Jil lost just 16 points in eight service games, fending off all four break points in the fifth game of the opening set to mount the pressure on the other side of the net and taking away more than half of the return points to create seven break chances.
Strycova suffered four breaks and never found a good rhythm that would give her more confidence to chase the favorable result. Teichmann earned a break already in the second game and maintained the lead after erasing those four break points at 3-1, closing the opener with a hold in game nine for a 6-3. The Czech faded from the court after that, taking only six points in set number two and allowing Jil to serve a bagel and book the spot in the title match against Karolina Muchova. The 22-year-old forged the way towards the first WTA final thanks to a 6-2, 7-5 win over Bernarda Pera in an hour and 32 minutes, another player ranked outside the top-100 who advanced into the first WTA semi-final.
Bernarda served at 75% but that wasn't enough to keep her initial shot safe, dropping half of the points in her games and giving Muchova five breaks of serve. On the other hand, the Czech repelled eight out of ten break points she had to play against and that carried her over the finish line, carving her way towards the most significant result on the Tour. Karolina wrapped up the opening set in half an hour with three breaks of serve and came back from a 3-1 down in set number two, keeping her focus and prevailing with a break at love at 6-5 that pushed her over the top.
from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2UXWHKm
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