Tanasugarn ousts Safina, reaches Ordina finals

DEN BOSCH, Netherlands – Tamarine Tanasugarn of Thailand stayed on course to become the first player to successfully defend the Ordina Open women’s title after upsetting top-ranked Dinara Safina, 7-5, 7-5, in Friday’s semifinals.

Tanasugarn, who beat Safina in last year’s final, will play Belgian teenager Yanina Wickmayer on Saturday. Wickmayer overcame a swirling wind and match-point jitters to beat Francesca Schiavone, 7-6 (3), 2-6, 6-3.

“Safina is very good and she also played really good,” Tanasugarn said. “It was a really difficult match because of the wind.”

In the men’s draw, qualifier Benjamin Becker rallied to beat fourth-seeded Rainer Schuettler, 3-6, 7-5, 6-1, in an all-German semifinal. He will play Raemon Sluiter of the Netherlands, who defeated Ivan Navarro of Spain, 6-7 (5) 6-2, 6-3.

Schuettler served for the match at 5-3 in the second set, but Becker broke him twice before sweeping through the final set.

“It’s a surprise,” Becker said. “In the first and second sets, it didn’t look like I had a chance, but luckily I was able to turn the match around.”

After breaking Schiavone with a powerful forehand winner in the eighth game of the final set, Wickmayer squandered three match points – including a double fault and missing an easy volley at the net – before the Italian hit a backhand service return long. (AP)