Vandeweghe Reaches First Clay Final In Stuttgart, Faces Pliskova
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American power player CoCo Vandeweghe is into her first career clay court final after cruising past Caroline Garcia 6-4, 6-2 in Stuttgart today.
“I’m getting more harassment from all my friends,” Vandeweghe said of her newfound clay success. “Jenni Brady has texted me saying some nonsense, Vicky Duval has sent some nonsense, an old hitting partner of mine from Poland texted me, ‘Oh man, you’ve got to change your schedule and really pump up the clay.’”
“And I was like, one tournament is one tournament too many for me on clay,” Vandeweghe continued. “But, you know, here I am.”
It was Vandewege’s third Top 10 victim of the week after No. 1 Simona Halep and Sloane Stephens; and she’ll get a shot at a fourth on Sunday. The 26-year-old will take on former No. 1 Karolina Pliskova who won by the same 6-4, 6-2 margin over Anett Kontaveit.
“I found my rhythm in the end of the first set,” Pliskova told the media after the match. “In the second set, I felt okay and the serve was there, the shots were much better. I was just hitting it more clean than in the first one, and I felt like I had so many chances on her serve in the first couple of games in the first set but couldn’t just make it, did so many mistakes on the returns.”
“I was not really feeling well my game,” Pliskova continued. “I guess it’s important for me even to win matches like this when I don’t feel well.”
Vandeweghe leads Pliskova 3-2.
“I played Pliskova at the US Open, but clay is completely different,” CoCo said. “I can say that very easily, that it’s very different.”
Vandeweghe bids for her third career WTA title, Pliskova her 10th.
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