Reaching the final in record time: Knapp's second WTA triumph within reach

Karin Knapp delivered a true demonstration of power in the semi-finals in Nuremberg and defeated the world number 98 from Spain 6:0 and 6:2. The encounter lasted just 67 minutes.

Already after the first rallies it was clear that Arruabarrena had a mammoth task ahead of him. At no point was she able to cope with this - also because Knapp applied an incredible amount of pressure and showed hardly any weaknesses even when the opponent served. The 27-year-old Luttacher won all of the first eight games. Only then did Arruabarrena come into play for the first time. In the meantime they equalized to 2:2, but then Knapp tightened the reins again and made it 4:2 with a break. She then won the set and thus made it to the final.

Italian duel for tournament victory

Eight months after her tournament victory in Tashkent and around six and a half years after her final debut in Antwerp in 2008, Knapp is back in the final round of a WTA tournament. There she will meet her fourth-seeded compatriot Roberta Vinci, who is ranked 14nd in the WTA rankings, on Saturday at 42 p.m. In the direct balance, Knapp is ahead by a wafer-thin margin. She has won three of the five previous meetings.

“Paris can still wait” The woman from Ahrntal is really looking forward to the test of strength with the 32-year-old from southern Italy. “It will be a thrilling finale. I know Roberta and her style of play very well. I have to put my foot on the accelerator right from the start, then I can win the tournament,” explained Knapp immediately after her semi-final success. I don't want to think about the Grand Slam tournament in Roland Garros, which starts in two days: “I won't waste a single thought on that. I have the chance to win a tournament here. Is there anything more beautiful?" Even before the final match, Knapp collected prize money of around 17.000 euros in Nuremberg. She will also improve in the world rankings by at least one position to 47th.

Karin Knapp's eleven WTA semi-final appearances (three wins, eight defeats): 2007 Budapest: -Sorana Cristea (ROU/WTA 325) 6:3, 4:6, 3:6 2007 Palermo: -Martina Müller (GER/WTA 34) 1:6, 6:3, 3:6 2007 Bad Gastein: -Yvonne Meusburger (AUT/WTA 82) 3:6, 6:3, 1:6 2008 Antwerp: +Li Na (CHN/WTA 33) 6:4, 7:6(5) 2012 Estoril: -Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP/WTA 58) 4:6, 0:6 2013 Bogota: -Jelena Jankovic (SRB/WTA 24) 6:3, 1:6, 6:7(2) 2013 Bad Gastein: -Yvonne Meusburger (AUT/WTA 86) 4:6, 3:6 2014 Nuremberg: -Eugenie Bouchard (CAN/WTA 19), 4:6, 3:6 2014 Tashkent: +Lesia Tsurenko (UKR/WTA 124) 6:3, 6:3 2014 Linz: -Camila Giorgi (ITA/WTA 42) 4:6, 2:6 2015 Nuremberg: +Lara Arruabarrena (ESP/WTA 98) 6:0, 6:2

Karin Knapp's previous WTA finals (one win, one loss): 2008 Antwerp: -Justine Henin (BEL/WTA 1) 3:6, 3:6 2014 Tashkent: +Bojana Jovanovski (SRB/WTA 35) 6:2, 7:6(4)

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Reaching the final in record time: Knapp's second WTA triumph within reach

The South Tyrolean is in the final of a WTA tournament for the third time in her career. On Friday she defeated Laura Arruabarrena in two sets at the “Nuremberg Insurance Cup” in the Franconian metropolis (prize money of $226.750).

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