Bencic knocks Wozniacki out of Pan Pacific Open

However, Bencic – who had earlier accounted for Australian Samantha Stosur – immediately broke back and set up a final on Sunday against seventh-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland.

Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki battled back after a mid-match slump to beat Angelique Kerber of Germany Friday and book a place in the semifinals of the Pan Pacific Open.

“I was feeling really good on court”.

“I’m playing energy tennis”.Thursday Cibulkova defeated the Spanish Carla Suarez Navarro, seeded sixth, 6-4, 6-4, but then withdrew from a doubles match with an acute gastrointestinal illness and a report of the WTA considered it “questionable” his presence in the quarter-finals.

“I knew I had to be focused well from start to finish today”.

This year has brought 18-year-old Bencic two titles and another final as well as three successive wins over Wozniacki, who beat fifth seed Angelique Kerber 6-2 2-6 6-3 in two hours and 13 minutes.

“I have already reached a better result than I could ever have imagined, so I can enjoy tomorrow”, said Bencic, who also won the Rogers Cup in Toronto after beating Serena Williams in the semifinals.

When it mattered she made it count by winning the big points, converting on four of her 10 break point opportunities in the match, while Wozniacki converted on just one of four chances.

The Dane said “that was a long game, and holding that definitely gave me some confidence”. Now, she’s one win away from joining them. “Second set it turned around, but it was competitive towards the end, and in the third set I thought we both played at a really high level”. “I’ll just try to do revenge and we’ll see how it goes tomorrow”.

Top seed Wozniacki has fond memories of the tournament in Tokyo having won in 2010 and reached the final 12 months ago when she was beaten by Ivanovic.