Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic upset top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in a match delayed 3 1/2 hours by rain on Saturday night to reach the final of the Mubadala Citi DC Open at Washington D.C
Bouzkova will face Spain’s Paula Badosa, who cruised to a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Caroline Dolehide in the other semifinal, played before thunderstorms arrived.
Bouzkova had an 8-4 edge in aces and saved 8 of 12 break points to advance to her second final of the season. Bouzkova’s lone career title came in the 2022 Prague Open.
Sabalenka, from Belarus, committed a staggering 62 unforced errors despite having a 22-17 edge in winners. She led 2-1 in the third set when the match was paused and was soundly outplayed after the restart, losing five of the six games.
In the earlier match, Badosa won 24 of 27 first-serve points (88.9 percent) and now looks to win her first title since prevailing in Sydney in early 2022. Badosa has three career titles.
–Field Level Media
