Tomljanovic reaches first WTA final in five years

Australia's Ajla Tomljanovic reached her first WTA final in five years on Saturday with a straight sets win over Russia's Anastasia Potapova at the Birmingham grass-court tournament.

The former world number 32, now ranked 190, came through against the seventh seed 7-6 (7/5), 6-4.

In Sunday's final, Tomljanovic will face fellow unseeded player Yulia Putintseva after the Kazakh eased to a 6-2, 6-2 win over Italy's Elisabetta Cocciaretto.

"I just tried to keep a cool head. I felt like I was a bit too into it at the beginning, and I felt like I was losing a lot of energy just caring about every single point," Tomljanovic said.

"I just tried to let go whatever happened, and focus on what I can control."

Tomljanovic last reached a WTA final in 2019 on hard courts in Hua Hin, Thailand.

The 31-year-old missed much of the 2023 season due to knee surgery and is bidding for her first title in her 180th WTA main draw.

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