Seventeeen year-old Donna Vekic is close to achieving a career milestone after making the final of the 2014 BMW Malaysian Open here.
She will meet Dominika Cibulkova, who is currently ranked 10th in the world after beating Zhang Shuai of China; 1-6, 6-3 and 6-4 in one hour and 29 minutes.
"I am so shocked that I have made the final. A couple of months ago, I did not win any match but now I am in the final.
"This is my third time entering final of Women's Tennis Association (WTA) and I hope the experience that I gained will give me opportunity to be a champion here," she said after the semi-finals match at Royal Selangor Golf Club (RSG), on Saturday night.
Vekic made her first Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Tour final at the 2012 Tashkent Open, Uzbekistan. It was her first main draw appearance at WTA tournament.
The Croatian has won four singles and one doubles titles at International Tennis Federation (ITF) Circuit.
Commenting on her opponent for the final, Vekic said that she had lost to Cibulkova at Indian Wells Open, United States of America.
Defending champion, Karolina Pliskova of Czech Republic lost to Slovakia's Cibulkova; 7-6, 3-6 and 3-6 in two hours 29 minutes.
Cibulkova has won two singles titles in ITF Circuit and four singles titles in WTA Tour.
Meanwhile, doubles Chan Yung-Jan of Chinese Taipei and Zheng Saisai of China upset Ukraine's Lyudmyla Kichenok and Olga Savchuk; 4-6, 6-4 and 10-4.
"This is my first pairing with Zheng, we have a good chemistry and teamwork together.. We keep discussing and talked a lot about the match. After the second set, we decided to play more aggresive.
"In the first set, our opponents played really fast we could not catch up and made many mistakes. We came back strongly in the second set," Chan said.
The fourth seed doubles will meet Timea Babos of Hungary and Chinese Taipei's Chan Hao-Ching in final after they (Babos/Chan) beat Jarmila Gajdosovo of Australia and Hsieh Su-Wei of Chinese Taipei; 6-3 and 6-3 on Friday.
"Tomorrow I will play against my younger sister, Chan Hao-Ching. I think it will be interesting match but let's see what will happen later. For sure it will be tough yet interesting match," she said.
Bernama
Sun Apr 20 2014
2014 BMW Malaysian Open: Vekic to play Cibulkova in final. -BERNAMA Photo
Who is Prabowo Subianto, incoming president of Indonesia?
A wealthy ex-general with ties to Indonesia's popular outgoing president and its dictatorial past, looks set to be its next leader.
Iran's supreme leader says Hamas leader's death will not halt 'Axis of Resistance'
The "Axis of Resistance", built up with years of Iranian support, includes Hamas, the Lebanese Hezbollah group, the Houthi movement in Yemen, and various Shi'ite groups in Iraq and Syria.
Putin says Russia willing to seek compromises between Iran and Israel
Russia is ready to help seek compromises between arch-foes Israel and Iran, President Vladimir Putin said on Friday, saying these would be difficult but possible.
What proposals will Russia push at the BRICS summit?
The proposal is also to establish a BRICS reinsurance company to allow uninterrupted shipment of goods and key commodities between members.
Indonesia's free meals plan in the spotlight as Prabowo readies for office
Prabowo calls the programme one of the main drivers of economic growth, eventually set to add an estimated 2.5 million jobs.
Astro AWANI's revamped English news website, AWANI International, launches on Oct 21
Astro AWANI's revamped English platform delivers in-depth global news and expert analysis to keep you informed on key developments.
Israeli strikes kill 33 people in Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza, medics say
Residents of Jabalia said Israeli tanks had reached the heart of the camp after pushing through suburbs and residential districts.
Liam Payne's ex-partner calls for media restraint after 'painful' death
Cheryl Tweedy used her statement to urge the media to remember they had a seven-year-old son, Bear, who could read the reports.
Analysts: Indonesia's strong MoF leadership team to boost investor confidence
Sri Mulyani Indrawati as head of Indonesia's Ministry of Finance is expected to instil confidence among investors.
Biden offers both a carrot and a stick to Israel as his term nears an end
Israel has frequently resisted US advice and has caused political difficulties for the Biden administration.
Putin says BRICS will generate most of global economic growth
Russian President Vladimir Putin will host a summit of the group in the city of Kazan on Oct. 22-24.
ISIS Malaysia's perspective of Budget 2025
An excellent rakyat-centric budget under the overarching principle of a caring and humane economy.
Budget 2025: Record increase in STR, SARA aid initiatives
The government will provide a significant boost to the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) and Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) initiatives next year.
Budget 2025: EPF contributions to be made mandatory for foreign workers – PM Anwar
The government plans to make it compulsory for all non-citizen workers to contribute to the Employees Provident Fund (EPF).
What policies to expect from Indonesia's new President Prabowo
Prabowo will be open to foreign investment, his aide has said, such as by offering investors management of airports and sea ports.
Budget 2025: Govt allocates RM470 mil to empower women's participation in PMKS
The Women's Leadership Apprenticeship Program will be intensified as an effort to produce more female corporate personalities.
Israel sends more troops into north Gaza, deepens raid
Residents of Jabalia in northern Gaza said Israeli tanks had reached the heart of the camp, using heavy air and ground fire.
Indonesia ramps up security ahead of Prabowo's inauguration
Prabowo Subianto will be sworn in as Indonesia's president on Sunday with Vice President-elect, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, also taking office.
Immediate allocation of RM150 mil for local authorities, DID to tackle flash floods
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said this allocation is intended to address the recent flash floods that hit the capital and several major towns.
Budget 2025: Sabah, Sarawak to continue receiving among highest allocations - PM
Sabah and Sarawak continues to be prioritised under Budget 2025, with allocations of RM6.7 billion and RM5.9 billion respectively.