Magda Linette played close to her best in outclassing Dalila Jakupovic 6-2, 6-3 in the semifinals of the Delhi Open $25,000 ITF women’s tennis tournament at the DLTA Complex here on Friday.
Playing an opponent who had beaten her twice in as many meetings in the past, both in Europe, Linette was full of confidence, having won a similar tournament a fortnight ago in France.
Both had the game to tease each other, but it was Linette who was fluent this time, even as Jakupovic seemed to lose her sting.
The Slovene faltered with her serve, delivering as many as six of her seven doubles in the first set. She dropped serve in the fourth and eighth games, which featured five double-faults in all.
It was a lot better in the second set until Jakupovic dropped serve in the sixth game after seeing a game-point.
In contrast, Linette served like a dream. She fired four aces, and had three double-faults. More importantly, she faced only one breakpoint in the whole match.
The Polish girl converted only three of her 19 breakpoints, though, but that only spoke about Jakupovic’s tenacity.
In the final, Linette will face another Slovenian, the tall and strongly built Tadeja Majeric who eased past Riko Sawayanagi.
The Japanese needed medical attention for back trouble but there is no denying Majeric’s craft; she found the corners at will and moved Sawayanagi around with considerable ease.
It was a one-way free flow as Majeric won six games on the trot after the Japanese had held serve in the first game.
Sawayanagi broke Majeric in the opening game, but the 24-year-old World No.253, a mere spot lower than the Japanese, did not allow her opponent to hold serve in the second set.
Linette has beaten Majeric in their only meeting so far — in the first round of a $125,000 event in Chinese Taipei last year — but the Slovenian has the craft to make it a tough for any opponent.
In the doubles final, China’s Tang Hao Chen and Yang Zhaoxuan defeated Ching-Wen Hsu and Pei-Chi Lee 7-5, 6-1.
It was the Taipei girls who had led 5-4 in the first set, after breaking Yang in the ninth game. However, the Chinese reeled off the next three games, dropping just five points in all.
Pei-Chi wavered in the 12th game, and two double-faults did not help.
In the second set, the only game the Taipei girls managed was when Pei Chi Lee held in the fourth game.
The results: Singles: Semifinals: Tadeja Majeric (Slo) bt Riko Sawayanagi (Jpn) 6-1, 6-2; Magda Linette (Pol) bt Dalila Jakupovic (Slo) 6-2, 6-3. Doubles: Final: Tang Hao Chen & Yang Zhaoxuan (Chn) bt Ching-Wen Hsu & Pei-Chi Lee (Tpe) 7-5, 6-1.
