Top-seeded Venus Williams beat Bulgaria's Tsvetana Pironkova 6-1, 6-3 to reach the Istanbul Cup final. She will play for the title Saturday against Nicole Vaidisova of the Czech Republic. Photo by WN
Bulgaria's young tennis hopeful Tsvetana Pironkova faced a defeat 6-1, 6-3 from top-seeded Venus Williams in the Istanbul Cup semi-finals on Friday.
Williams will play for the title Saturday against Nicole Vaidisova of the Czech Republic. Vaidisova, seeded second, defeated third-seeded Anna Smashnova of Israel 4-6, 6-1, 6-0 in the other semi-final.
Bulgaria's Pironkova defeated Shahar Peer of Israel 6-3, 7-6 (4) to qualify for the semi-final, whereas Williams had advanced with a 6-2, 6-1 victory over seventh-seeded Anna Chakvetadze on Thursday.
The USD 200,000 clay-court tournament is a tune-up for the French Open, which begins Monday.
In the first round Bulgaria's best tennis player Magdalena Maleeva will meet for the first time ever Rika Fujiwara of Japan. Meanwhile, Sesil Karatantcheva is to face Alyona Bondarenko of Ukraine.