Dubai: Defending champion Caroline Wozniacki lost in the semi-finals of the Dubai Tennis Championships, falling to Julia Goerges 7-6 (3), 7-5 on Friday.
The former top-ranked Dane led 4-2 in the second set before Goerges regained control to close out the match in just over two hours.
"I didn't play my best game today," Wozniacki said. "Made way too many unforced errors, and Julia took advantage of that."
Goerges will face Agnieszka Radwanska in the final on Saturday after the Polish player defeated Jelena Jankovic of Serbia 6-2, 2-6, 6-0 in the first semi-final.
Wozniacki said she struggled with her serve throughout the match, while Goerges never let her find her rhythm once the ball was in play.
"I felt I had all the opportunities in the world today and didn't take advantage of them. If you don't take your chances, there is no way to win," Wozniacki said. "It's easy to say I should have done this and could have done that. But, you know, as well for Julia she took her chances. If I came with a weak shot she was there straight away and she punished me."
Goerges now has a 3-2 head-to-head record against the former No. 1.
"It was a pretty tough match. I mean, it's never easy playing her," Goerges said. "It's always a lot of balls, a lot of rallies. We played over two hours for two sets."
Goerges overcame Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova, Casey Dellacqua of Australia and Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia in the previous rounds. Dellacqua replaced top-ranked Victoria Azarenka, who pulled out of the tournament with an ankle injury on Wednesday before she was to play her opening match against Goerges.
"You never expect being in the final when you have seen the draw before," Goerges said. "I mean, it started with a tough first round, expecting another big match in the second round, which unfortunately didn't happen. But, well, it's nice to be in the final with so many great players in the draw."
Radwanska and Goerges last met in Melbourne last month, when the Polish player beat the German 6-1, 6-1 in the quarter-finals.
"Well, it's going to be a tough one again," Goerges said of Saturday's final. "I mean, she killed me in Australia. Well, tomorrow is a new day, new match, and starts from zero again."
The fifth-seeded Radwanska jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the first set against Jankovic before winning it in 33 minutes. The 22-year-old Polish player faltered in the second when her Serbian opponent broke twice, but then regrouped and wrapped up the win without losing another game.
Radwanska said she regained her confidence by breaking early in the third set, causing the eighth-seeded Jankovic to lose focus.
"Actually she just start to play much better in the second set. I was really in trouble," Radwanska said. "But in the third set, I was just trying to be focused on my game and just fight until the end."
"I think also the second game of this third set was the key in this match. Because I think I really get more confident after that and I think she get a bit angry."
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