By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Friday September 27, 2019
Sorana Cirstea reached her first final since 2013 and will face Alison Van Uytvanck in the Tashkent final.
Photo Source: Tashkent Open
11 years after breaking through and winning her maiden title at Tashkent in 2008, Romania’s Sorana Cirstea is on the brink of title No.2.
The World No.96 powered past 19-year-old Katarina Zavatska 6-0 6-3 on Friday to set a final with Belgium’s Alison Van Uytvanck. Cirstea, who broke six times on 16 opportunities to hammer the World No.142 in 75 minutes, is into her first final since 2013.
Zavatska had her chances as she began to pick up her level in the second set. She had six deuces but could not hold for 3-3 in the set; then, after another five deuces two games later she was broken for 5-3.
"I think I played for a set and a half exactly what the plan was," Cirstea said after the match "I backed off a little but managed to find a way to win in two sets and of course it's very rewarding."
Cirstea held in the next game to close out the win and improve to 18-16 on the season. She owns a 1-0 lifetime win against Van Uytvanck, having defeated the Belgian in straight sets in Linz in 2017.
Van Uytvanck defeated 2016 champion Kristyna Pliskova 6-3 7-5 in one hour and 25 minutes to reach the final.
Van Uytvanck, seeded third, improves to 25-19 on the season. The World No.61 will bid for her second title of the season and her fourth overall.