The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Gavrilova upsets top-seeded Radwanska
Win over defending champ earns Australian a spot in today’s final
NEW HAVEN » There will be a new champion at this year’s Connecticut Open.
Daria Gavrilova upset defending champ Agnieszka Radwanska, 6-4, 6-4, in a semifinal match on Friday night and will face second-seeded Dominika Cibulkova in the finals on Saturday at 3 p.m.
It’s the third time in her career that Gavrilova, 23, has reached the finals of a WTA Tour event. She is still looking for her first victory.
Gavrilova, a Russian native who emigrated to Australia in 2015, also becomes the first Australian to reach the finals at New Haven.
Until Friday, Radwanska had dominated the tournament the past two years. She didn’t drop a single set in cruising to last year’s victory, and had won her first two matches this year in straight sets, as well.
But it was apparent early on Friday that the Polish native was in for a battle. Gavrilova broke Radwanska in the first game and won the first four games overall. Radwanska won just three points in her first two service games. Radwanska bounced back to
FROM PAGE 1 win the next three games, but Gavrilova took the set.
Radwanska won the first two games of the second set as Gavrilova lost her composure for a bit, slamming a ball across the court in frustration after losing the second game. However, utilizing a powerful forehand, she battled back to win the match.
It was the first time Radwanska and Gavrilova had ever faced each other. Gavrilova, currently ranked No. 26 in the world, has faced No. 11 Cibulkova just once, losing the match.
Gavrilova has reached the finals twice before, losing to fellow Aussie Samantha Stosur earlier this year in Streasbourg. She played at New Haven just once before, losing to Lucie Safarova in the first round two years ago in straight sets.