The final of the San Diego Open is set. Barbora Krejcikova and Sofia Kenin, who both entered with wildcards, will fight for the title and 500 points.
Kenin went into the tournament at world number 93, but the live rankings after winning the semifinal match already have her leapfrogging to number 53. Krejcikova has seen a three-point bump to tenth in the live rankings and to thirteenth in the live Race rankings. While it is a long shot this late in the season, it is still possible for the Czech to book a spot in Cancun.
Krejcikova reached the final with a 3-6 7-6 6-2 victory over Danielle Collins. With this win, she is 15-4 against Americans. The two had never played each other before, and the 2021 French Open champion needed the first set to feel out her opponent and try to find her serve. Collins began to slow down in the second set, and took a medical timeout early in the third from which the 29-year-old returned with a taped-up leg.
Speaking with press after the match, Krejcikova said, “In the second, I knew that I have to fight and I have to go for every point and try to stay with her. I was just very happy that I was able to break her at 6-5. And then in the third set, I felt that I was just improving with every single point.”
Kenin booked her spot in the final with a…
