Kim Clijsters shunted Sam Stosur out of her path to reach the final of the WTA Championships in Doha yesterday - after being involved in a car crash on her way to the venue.
The Belgian is bidding to win the end-of-season event for the third time, to crown a season in which she successfully defended her US Open title, and recovered from the pre-match accident to beat Australian Stosur 7-6 (7/3) 6-1.
Today she will take on world number one Caroline Wozniacki in the final - a repeat of the 2009 US Open title match - after the Dane followed her on court and powered to a 7-5 6-0 win over Russia's Vera Zvonareva.
Clijsters started the opening semi-final slowly and fell 3-0 behind in the opening set, but she soon began to exercise control over her opponent.
The deficit was quickly recovered. Clijsters saved a set point at 5-4, and the set soon went to a tie-break which she dominated.
Set two was a different story, with Clijsters on top throughout.
She said: "Sam and I have played some tough matches in the past, but today I played well during the important points which is why I won the first set.
"In the second I felt that she dropped her game a little bit and that gave me the chance."
The 27-year-old had earlier revealed on Twitter how her journey to the Khalifa International venue was a fraught one.
She wrote: "We just had a car accident on our way to the courts! So scary... Bob, my manager took the hit...
"We are all okay... Just the car is ready for the junk yard :-)"
A picture posted by Clijsters showed an official tournament car with the passenger door damaged and a wing mirror hanging by a wire.
Wozniacki burst into a 3-0 lead in the opening set of the second semi-final, before Zvonareva, the world No 2, reeled off five of the next six games to seize a 5-4 advantage.
That gave her the opportunity to serve for the set, but Wozniacki broke back for 5-5 and Zvonareva did not win another game in the remainder of the match.
"I was up 4-1 in the first set and suddenly she had two set points," Wozniacki said on court after the match.
"First I want to thank the crowd for supporting me so much today and all week. Without you guys I wouldn't be here."
Wozniacki, who at the age of 20 was the youngest player in the draw, said: "I'm just going to enjoy this moment. I'm in the finals and it's a huge tournament. Tomorrow we'll see what I come up with."
Clijsters and Wozniacki have only played once, with Clijsters prevailing in the 2009 US Open final in straight sets.
* Press Association
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Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh
3.5/5
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Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
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Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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Top investing tips for UAE residents in 2021
Build an emergency fund: Make sure you have enough cash to cover six months of expenses as a buffer against unexpected problems before you begin investing, advises Steve Cronin, the founder of DeadSimpleSaving.com.
Think long-term: When you invest, you need to have a long-term mindset, so don’t worry about momentary ups and downs in the stock market.
Invest worldwide: Diversify your investments globally, ideally by way of a global stock index fund.
Is your money tied up: Avoid anything where you cannot get your money back in full within a month at any time without any penalty.
Skip past the promises: “If an investment product is offering more than 10 per cent return per year, it is either extremely risky or a scam,” Mr Cronin says.
Choose plans with low fees: Make sure that any funds you buy do not charge more than 1 per cent in fees, Mr Cronin says. “If you invest by yourself, you can easily stay below this figure.” Managed funds and commissionable investments often come with higher fees.
Be sceptical about recommendations: If someone suggests an investment to you, ask if they stand to gain, advises Mr Cronin. “If they are receiving commission, they are unlikely to recommend an investment that’s best for you.”
Get financially independent: Mr Cronin advises UAE residents to pursue financial independence. Start with a Google search and improve your knowledge via expat investing websites or Facebook groups such as SimplyFI.
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Initial investment: Undisclosed
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Investors: Core42
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