An all-unseeded semifinal at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships saw Jasmine Paolini hold off Sorana Cirstea 6-2, 7-6.
The Italian saved six set points in the second set to reach the first WTA 1000 final of her career in 1 hour and 57 minutes.
Cirstea, 33, was bidding to become the second-oldest player to enter the top 20 for the first time, and to reach a WTA 1000 final for the first time in 11 years.
But it was Paolini who maintained her perfect record against the Romanian, improving to 3-0 overall.
Qualifier Anna Kalinskaya faces World No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the other semi-final on Friday.
Ice. Cold. 🥶
— wta (@WTA) February 23, 2024
Jasmine Paolini came up with some brave tennis to save a SIXTH set point in the second set tiebreak!#DDFTennis pic.twitter.com/58A72CzhZC
In the doubles competition, No.3 seeds Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Ellen Perez advanced to their second final of the season after defeating Aliaksandra Sasnovich and Laura Siegemund 6-3, 6-2.
Melichar-Martinez and Perez will next face either No.2 seeds Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe or No.4 seeds Storm Hunter and Katerina Siniakova.
Arsenal miss chance to go six points clear with draw at Brentford
India thump Namibia ahead of Pakistan clash
Italy crush Nepal in maiden T20 World Cup victory
Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships reveals major expansion plan
Sri Lanka crush Oman for second victory in T20 World Cup
