Radwanska Set to Face Kuznetsova in Final After Dispatching Hantuchova

8/8/2010

Carlsbad, Calif. – In a match where the final score did not indicate the level of excitement, fourth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland defeated Slovakia’s Daniela Hantuchova 6-4, 6-2, to reach the final of the Mercury Insurance Open Presented by Tri-City Medical Center.

A packed stadium was treated to an incredible display of tennis from two of the stars on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour in a match that took one hour and 40 minutes.

The opening set began with each player holding serve through the first six games, but Radwanska broke serve to take a 4-3 lead when Hantuchova double faulted on break point. With Radwanska putting in 81 percent of her first serves in the first set, the one service break was all she needed to clinch the set, which took 43 minutes.

In the second set, despite losing her serve in the second game, Radwanska capitalized on three service breaks to take a 5-1 lead. However, Hantuchova, who has been ranked as high as No. 5 in the world, was not going to go down without a fight.

With the Slovakian serving to stay in the match at 1-5, the fireworks just got started. Hantuchova’s service game lasted 20 minutes with a total of 28 points. The game went to deuce 11 times as she saved eight match points before finally holding serve to make the score 5-2.

As the players went to their chairs for the changeover, the appreciative crowd gave them a standing ovation. Radwanska, served for the match and on her ninth match point, she spun an 88-mph serve out wide beyond the Hantuchova’s reach to end the match.

Sunday’s Mercury Insurance Open singles final will pit Svetlana Kuznetsova against Radwanska. This is the first singles final for both players since they met last October in the finals of Beijing, which was won by Kuznetsova.