BARCELONA, SPAIN (AP) - Maria Kirilenko will defend her Barcelona Open title against Roberta Vinci, advancing to the final with a 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 victory over fifth-seeded Carla Suarez Navarro on Saturday.
After dropping the first set, the sixth-seeded Kirilenko broke Suarez Navarro on seven of her following nine chances.
It was the Russian’s second match of the day against a Spanish opponent. Earlier she had defeated Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez 6-1, 3-6, 6-0 in a rain-suspended quarterfinal.
Vinci overcame fellow Italian Francesca Schiavone 0-6, 7-6 (2), 6-4.
The 37th-ranked Kirilenko holds a 2-1 advantage in career matchups against Vinci after winning the last two, including their only meeting on clay at Berlin in 2006.
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