By Tennis Now | Saturday, August 3, 2019
Camila Giorgi stopped American teenager Caty McNally, 7-6(5), 6-2 to advance to the Washington, D.C. final against Jessica Pegula.
Photo credit: Camila Giorgi Facebook
Playing her first WTA semifinal, teenager Caty McNally charged net late in the second set only to feel the force of Camila Giorgi's jolting power.
The lithe Italian buzzed a backhand into the spinning 17-year-old American's rib cage.
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Giorgi struck with clean conviction defeating McNally, 7-6 (5), 6-2, to charge into her first WTA final of the season in Washington, D.C.
Playing just her seventh tournament of the season after returning from a right wrist injury, Giorgi will play for her third career title and first on American soil tomorrow.
"It was a great match today," Giorgi told Tennis Channel's Paul Annacone. "It was very, very intense, so it was fun.
"I felt like I needed to play my game and be more aggressive and try to go more forward. So I tried to be more aggressive."
It is Giorgi's first final since she won Linz last October.
The 27-year-old Giorgi will play American Jessica Pegula in tomorrow's Citi Open final.
Pegula dispatched Anna Kalinskaya, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, to reach her second career WTA final.
The second semifinal pitted Giorgi's power vs. McNally's variety and net skills.
Giorgi served 77 percent to set up the first strike effectively. The Italian smacked 21 winners against 14 unforced errors compared to 17 winners and 27 unforced errors for McNally.
"These three months I didn't play a lot of tennis I did physical preparation," Giorgi said. "I was every day in the gym trying to be fit always. It was a good thing I was trying to do physical and do more things that I couldn't do."
Giorgi won 12 of the first 14 points often blowing McNally back behind the baseline with ballistic power.
Serving for the set at 5-3, Giorgi dropped into a love-30 hole. McNally followed a return forward and shoveled a drop volley into the short court for her first break point. The American teenager broke back on a Giorgi error.
An empowered McNally cruised through eight straight points on serve as she leveled after 10 games.
In the tie break, Giorgi burst out to a 4-1 lead only to see McNally level at 5-all. Giorgi closed the 53-minute opener on a return error.
The pressure of Giorgi's flat returns provoked a double fault as she broke for a 2-1 second-set lead. Giorgi slashed successive aces—including a 112 mph blast out wide—backing up the break for 3-1.
The world No. 62 reeled off nine consecutive points powering out to a 4-1 lead. After Giorgi scored a love break, McNally took a medical timeout for treatment of an apparent hip or back issue.
Serving for the final, Giorgi banged a backhand pass down the line as she earned two more match points.
On her fourth match point, Giorgi bolted a pass to close.