Seventh-seeded Aliaksandra Sasnovich needs just one win to lift her first WTA Tour title after rallying to beat No.8 seed Alize Cornet in the semi-finals in Cleveland.
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Sasnovich triumphed 6-7 (7-5) 7-5 6-3 over the French woman in a marathon contest.
The world No.36 won the final three games in the second set after Cornet served for the match up 5-4. She then jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the third before closing out the two hour, 50-minute match with a drop shot.
"When Alize had the chance to serve out the match, I was thinking, 'If you are losing, lose aggressively,'" Sasnovich said. "I tried to do my best because that's all you can do in that situation."
Cornet did not lose a set in her first three victories in Cleveland, which included the 500th of her career in the opening round.
Sasnovich, who advanced to her fourth career final, will play No.45 Liudmila Samsonova for the championship on Saturday.
Samsonova beat Bernarda Pera 6-1 6-2 in just 53 minutes, allowing four total points in winning all eight of her service games.
The unseeded Russian fired seven aces without a double-fault against the lone American in the semi-finals.
Pera, ranked No.51, had won a career-best 13 consecutive WTA matches and claimed titles at Budapest, Hungary and Hamburg.
It was her first loss since Wimbledon two months ago.
Australian Associated Press
