By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Friday September 29, 2023
The 19-year-old Russian powered past Linda Fruhvirtova to set a title clash with Ons Jabeur.
Photo Source: Getty
19-year-old Diana Shnaider reached her maiden final at the Ningbo Open in China with a 6-4, 6-1 win over fellow teen Linda Fruhvirtova, setting a final with Ons Jabeur.
Shnaider, ranked 85, needed one hour and 40 minutes to defeat the 18-year-old from Prague. The left-hander, who took out Petra Kvitova in the quarterfinals, is projected to rise inside the Top-70 for the first time, no matter what happens in Saturday’s final against the Tunisian trailblazer. She was ranked 217 this time last year.
Shnaider is the sixth teenager to reach a WTA final in 2023, along with Coco Gauff, Linda Noskova, Maria Timofeeva, Noma Noha Akugue and Ashlyn Krueger.
Jabeur took out Nadia Podoroska of Argentina 6-3, 1-6, 6-1 in 1:51 to reach her 13th WTA final and third of 2023.
This year’s Wimbledon runner-up is working on securing her bid to the WTA Finals in Cancun. She currently rests in eighth place in the standings.
Jabeur is bidding for her fifth title on tour, while Shnaider is bidding to become the WTA’s 12th first-time title winner in 2023.