Medina Garrigues, Errani Move Into Portoroz Final

Two of the feistiest competitiors on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour diffused the power games of two of the hardest-hitting rising stars around, and on Sunday it will be Anabel Medina Garrigues facing Sara Errani in the singles final of the $145,000 Banka Koper Slovenia Open.
 
Medina Garrigues, the No.4 seed at the Tier IV event, overcame a second set blowout with a gritty effort in the third set to beat Julia Goerges, 63 26 64. Goerges had taken out Medina Garrigues' projected semifinal opponent, No.2 seed Katarina Srebotnik, in straight sets in the second round; but it was a much more drawn-out task on Saturday evening against the 25-year-old Medina Garrigues, whose tireless retrieving and backboard-like groundstrokes proved too much in the end for the 19-year-old German.
 
Errani, seeded No.8 this week, upset No.3 seed Caroline Wozniacki in the second semifinal of the night, 64 64. The powerful, 18-year-old Wozniacki had barely been tested in her first three matches of the week, losing a total of just eight games in six sets; but the 21-year-old Errani was just too consistent for Wozniacki, notching her second straight upset of the week (she had beaten No.1 seed Maria Kirilenko in the quarterfinals on Friday evening).
 
When looking at their career achievements, it would appear as though Medina Garrigues will hold the advantage in Sunday night's title match. She has been to 12 Sony Ericsson WTA Tour singles finals previously, winning eight titles (seven on clay, one on hard). But Errani is on a nine-match winning streak, having gone 5-0 to win her first Tour singles title at Palermo a few weeks ago (it was also her first final) and 4-0 thus far this week; also, the Italian did win her only prior encounter against the Spaniard, in the second round of the Tier III hardcourt event in Bali last fall (albeit with a tight 75 46 64 scoreline).
 
The doubles final was the last match to go on court on Saturday night, and Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual, the top seeds, beat unseeded duo Vera Dushevina and Ekaterina Makarova for the title, 64 61. Medina Garrigues and Ruano Pascual have now won four Tour doubles titles together, their biggest by far coming at Roland Garros this past June. They have also won Tier IVs at Stockholm last year, Hobart earlier this year and now Portoroz this week.

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