By Erik Gudris | Saturday, July 12, 2014

 

American Shelby Rogers continued her incredible run at Bad Gastein with yet another upset win to reach the final. Next for her will be Germany's Andrea Petkovic.

Photo Credit: Getty

American qualifier Shelby Rogers continued her incredible run this week at the Nurnberger Gastein Ladies event in Bad Gastein, Austria. She now finds herself in her first ever WTA main draw final.

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Having defeated both Carla Suarez Navarro and Camila Giorgi earlier in the week, Rogers reached Saturday's semifinal against No. 2 seed Sara Errani of Italy.

Ranked No. 147 in the world, the 21-year-old Charleston, South Carolina native battled Errani in a close first set. The tight set eventually entered into a tiebreak with both women holding set points. After Errani berated herself on stumbling trying to reach a Rogers' drop shot at 10-all, the umpire served Errani with an obscenity warning.

Rogers, with a forehand winner, created another set point chance for herself at 13-12. Errani would net on the next point giving Rogers the set 7-6(12).

Though Errani would earn an early break in the second set, her advantage was short-lived. Often struggling against Rogers' power, Errani soon gave up the break lead. At 4-3, Rogers would hold 0-40 on Errani's serve. Errani battled back to deuce, but a forehand winner from Rogers gave her the break for 5-3.

Rogers struck a final backhand down the line winner on match point giving her the 7-6(12), 6-3 victory.

Waiting for Rogers in Sunday's final will be recent Charleston winner Andrea Petkovic of Germany.

Petkovic took on American Grace Min in their semifinal meeting earlier in the day. Min, who took advantage of top seed Flavia Pennetta withdrawing earlier, entered the final four having never won back-to-back matches at the tour level until this week.

Though Min would take the first set, Petkovic's experience proved the difference later in the match. Petkovic claimed the second set and then secured a break for 4-3 in the final set. With a backhand passing shot winner, Petkovic clinched the 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 win.

Petkovic now seeks her second Bad Gastein title having won the event earlier in 2009.