'S-HERTOGENBOSCH, The Netherlands - Two unseeded players with a 13-year age difference, 32-year-old Tamarine Tanasugarn and 19-year-old Yanina Wickmayer, will compete for the Ordina Open title on Saturday.
A year after knocking off Dinara Safina in the final here, Tanasugarn did it again Friday, this time in the semis, 75 75. The Thai, who has won two Sony Ericsson WTA Tour singles titles, came back from 4-2 down in the second set to win, raising her record against the top-seeded Russian to 2-1. This one held special significance, however, as it was Tanasugarn's first career win over a reigning world No.1.
"Today was a very difficult match for both of us, especially because of the conditions - the wind kept on changing," Tanasugarn said. "The match could have gone either way. I just tried to play my game and stay focused."
Safina, who is still seeking her first grass court Tour singles title (she won the doubles here in 2005 with Anabel Medina Garrigues), has now lost in the final here twice and in the semis twice.
Wickmayer, who won her first Tour singles title last month in Estoril, dropped her first set of the week, but still edged Francesca Schiavone, 76(3) 26 63. Wickmayer rallied from a 5-3 first set deficit in the first career meeting between the two.
Tanasugarn, who even before Friday's victory had already gone further than in any event since her triumph here last year, and Wickmayer have met once before. Last year on the grass courts of an ITF Women's Circuit event in Surbiton, Wickmayer won in straight sets.
In a doubles final featuring two unseeded duos, Sara Errani and Flavia Pennetta outlasted Michaella Krajicek and Wickmayer, 64 57 1311. It was the second Tour doubles title for Errani and the fifth for Pennetta.
