BARBORA Krejcikova and Sorana Cirstea will do battle in the 2021 Internationaux de Strasbourg final after both players won their respective semi-finals in the WTA Tour 250 event. The fifth seed Czech and the unseeded Romanian both won their penultimate tournament matches in tight three sets, with the former eyeing off her main Tour title, and the latter gunning for her third WTA trophy.

Needing two hours and 14 minutes, Krejcikova ended the run of 21-year-old German qualifier Jule Niemeier, defeating the talent 5-7 6-3 6-4. Overcoming a first set loss, the Czech managed to capitalise on the extra break with five from seven compared to Niemeier’s four from eight. She also pounced off the German’s second serve, winning 56.4 per cent of those points, though in reality just four points separated the players in the match (97-93).

“This week, [Niemeier is] doing really well,” Krejcikova said post-match. “I remember when I did something similar in Nurnberg 2017, when I was a qualifier and I reached the final, and I remember I was playing girls that were [ranked] way, way higher than I was. “She showed that she can play really big tennis, she’s serving very well, she’s very solid, and I just wish her all the best for the upcoming tournaments.”

The other semi-final was a similar story with the 31-year-old Romanian needing to fight back from a first set deficit against eighth seed Pole Magda Linette to win 3-6 6-4 6-2 in two hours and eight minutes. Cirstea won 71.4 and 58.3 per cent of her points, setting up 12 break points opportunities and capitalising on five, whilst Linette broke three times from four chances. Overall Cirstea was just a little better in each area and it showed in the end, with just another break the key difference between the two players.

“I thought from the beginning it was a very good match, very good level, both of us were playing well,” Cirstea said post-match. “I thought I was missing too many returns (in the first set), not putting the first serve in, and I think those were the two areas where I focused a bit more. “To try and start with the first serve, and put the return in, and don’t give those free points, and I think that made the difference.”

INTERNATIONAUX DE STRASBOURG SEMI-FINALS RESULTS:

[5] Barbora Krejcikova (CZE) defeated [Q] Jule Niemeier (GER) 5-7 6-3 6-4
Sorana Cirstea (ROU) defeated [8] Magda Linette (POL) 3-6 6-4 6-2

Picture credit: Chryslène Caillaud / Internationaux de Strasbourg