Dubai: Rank outsider Julia Goerges marked a dream Dubai debut by dumping out defending champion Caroline Wozniacki on Friday to set up a final meeting with fifth seed Agnieszka Radwanska in the final of the Dubai Duty Free Women's Open.
Tipped to successfully defend her crown here following a couple of dominating wins, Wozniacki found Goerges a tough nut to crack as the German showed a lot of aggression to win in straight sets 7-6 (3), 7-5.
In the earlier semi-final, fifth seed Radwanska had scalped 2005 finalist Jelena Jankovic 6-2, 2-6, 6-0 to make her first final of the 2012 season and set up a mouth-watering finale on Saturday night.
Saturday's final day of the women's competition will commence with the doubles at 5pm followed by the singles at 7pm.
If the first semi-final between Radwanska and Jankovic went the full extent, it was the late night match that witnessed the defending champion show her pedigree against an opponent who had nothing to lose.
In the first set, Wozniacki and Goerges exchanged breaks in the fifth and sixth games to stay neck-and-neck at 3-3, but that was when the German moved to break for 5-3 and then struggled to hold serve in a game that lasted nearly 12 minutes (4-5) as the defending champion held to send the set into a tie-breaker that was easily won by the German 7-3.
There was a flurry of breaks at the beginning of the second set, but it was the German outdid the defending champion with an extra one and then held in the fourth for a 3-1 cushion. But Wozniacki was not in the mood to give up easily as she broke back twice and then held for a 4-2 lead, only to see Goerges break back immediately with a lovely passing shot and then hold for 4-4.
Both managed to hold serves once and it was Goerges making a decisive break in the 11th to go 6-5 up. She then held to take set and match 7-5 in two hours and 12 minutes of gripping centre court action.
"Tomorrow's (Saturday) final will be equally tough," Goerges predicted of her match against Radwanska.
"She [Radwanska] killed me in Australia and it is now time for revenge. But right now I need to go and get some rest and then prepare for tomorrow's final."
