Can she do it?

Kournikova advances to final, looking for first title

Anna Kournikova: "I've been playing much smarter. I haven't been maybe winning with my shots, but more with my head." AP

SHANGHAI (Reuters) -- Anna Kournikova moved a step closer to her first singles title by beating Japan's Ai Sugiyama 6-4 7-5 in a thrilling semi-final at the Shanghai Open on Saturday.

Kournikova dispatched the unusually error-prone Japanese, setting up a clash with top-seeded Anna Smashnova of Israel in only her fourth singles final in a seven-year professional career and her first shot at a WTA title since Moscow in 2000.

The 21-year-old's inability to clinch a senior singles crown and her slide down the world rankings have prompted media suggestions that the much-photographed Russian is more of a model than a tennis player.

Kournikova, who pumped her arms in triumph after Sugiyama sent the ball over the baseline to lose the match, now has an excellent chance of finally silencing those critics in Sunday's final.

Smashnova annihilated Angelique Widjaja of Indonesia 6-1 6-1 in Saturday's other semi-final.

Kournikova has beaten Smashnova in their last two meetings but the Russian says she will not be thinking about the wider significance of Sunday's match.

"I'm not going to be thinking about the big picture, I'm just going to be thinking about the actual match," said Kournikova, looking relaxed in a white track suit after her semi-final triumph.

"I'm really not thinking about that and I haven't really been thinking about it for a long time. I'm just trying to have fun out there and enjoy -- and achieve something for myself."

"It's good enough, I've won matches," she said of her form during the week. "In this tournament, I've been playing much smarter. I haven't been maybe winning with my shots, but more with my head."

Kournikova, wearing her trademark white, cream and blue outfit with a blue sun visor, had needed little more than an hour to beat Sugiyama in the last four.

The disappointed Japanese player blamed herself for a performance littered with double-faults and misjudged volleys.

"I don't know what was wrong with me, I just made a lot of mistakes," said Sugiyama, who often practices with Kournikova.

"I tried to concentrate but my footwork wasn't great. I wasn't comfortable out there, I don't know what made me a little tight."

 

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