World number one Caroline Wozniacki reached the final of the WTA clay court tournament here Saturday with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Jelena Jankovic. Top-seeded Wozniacki outlasted Jankovic in a match marked by grinding rallies and, in the first set, numerous breaks of serve.
Finally, Jankovic said, Wozniacki's ability to extend the rallies was just too much. "She always makes you play an extra ball," the third-seeded Serbian said.
Wozniacki booked a clash with Russian Elena Vesnina, who defeated China's Peng Shuai 7-6 (7/4), 6-3.
Wozniacki reached the Charleston final for the second time in three appearances.
She was runner-up here to Sabine Lisicki in 2009, but last year was forced out in the semi-finals with an ankle injury.
"I'm just happy to be in the finals again," she said. "It's been a great week for me."
Wozniacki's progress hasn't all been smooth, however. She needed two tiebreakes to subdue Barbora Zahlavova Strycova on Thursday and overcame a 4-2 deficit in the third set to beat Belgian Yanina Wickmayer in the quarter-finals.
The 20-year-old Dane said she knew she couldn't afford to give Jankovic any early advantage.
On a windy stadium court, the first three games all went to deuce. Jankovic had built a 4-3 lead when Wozniacki won three straight games - breaking twice - to pocket the set.
Wozniacki stayed steady in the second and capitalised on Jankovic's errors.
Wozniacki and Vesnina have played five times before, Wozniacki winning four of their encounters.
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