Canny Russian Elena Vesnina has declared “this is my time” as she aims to end her long WTA title hoodoo in the final of the Hobart International against German Mona Barthel on Saturday.
Barthel set up a showdown with Vesnina with a 6-4 6-4 victory over Belgium’s Kirsten Flipkens, giving her a strong chance to defend her Hobart title.
In contrast, the 26-year-old Vesnina has spent more than seven years in the top 100 and played in six tournament deciders but has yet to clinch any silverware.
But she enters Saturday’s decider full of confidence after an emphatic 6-2 6-2 semi-final upset of powerful American Sloane Stephens on Friday afternoon.
“I’m feeling good,” the world No.68 said.
“I can say this is my time. I’ve played so many finals before and I’ve been a little bit unlucky in the past.
“I’m feeling like I’m at home here.”
Vesnina’s last final was in Budapest last year when she upset three seeds on the way to a tight loss against Italian Sara Errani.
The Russian eliminated Australian wildcard Jarmila Gajdosova in the Hobart quarter-finals by cleverly using the blustery wind gusts to her advantage and, once again, played the conditions perfectly against Stephens.
The rising American teenager, ranked 29th in the world, never recovered after conceding her opening service game despite being up 40-0.
Vesnina then raced to a 5-0 in just 19 minutes and couldn’t be headed as it appeared Stephens was fatigued by her two-and-a-half hour quarter-final win over Lauren Davis.
“I know she is a very dangerous player … maybe she was tired from yesterday’s match,” Vesnina said of the 19-year-old. “I was expecting it to be a long and hard match.”
Ninth-seeded Barthel is considered a rising star, pushing her world ranking to 40 at just 22 years of age.
Barthel, who was a member of the German Olympic team, downed promising Australian 16-year-old Ashleigh Barty 2-6 6-0 6-1 in the opening round of the tournament.