An all-unseeded semifinal at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships saw Jasmine Paolini hold off Sorana Cirstea 6-2, 7-6.
The Italian saved six set points in the second set to reach the first WTA 1000 final of her career in 1 hour and 57 minutes.
Cirstea, 33, was bidding to become the second-oldest player to enter the top 20 for the first time, and to reach a WTA 1000 final for the first time in 11 years.
But it was Paolini who maintained her perfect record against the Romanian, improving to 3-0 overall.
Qualifier Anna Kalinskaya faces World No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the other semi-final on Friday.
Ice. Cold. 🥶
— wta (@WTA) February 23, 2024
Jasmine Paolini came up with some brave tennis to save a SIXTH set point in the second set tiebreak!#DDFTennis pic.twitter.com/58A72CzhZC
In the doubles competition, No.3 seeds Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Ellen Perez advanced to their second final of the season after defeating Aliaksandra Sasnovich and Laura Siegemund 6-3, 6-2.
Melichar-Martinez and Perez will next face either No.2 seeds Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe or No.4 seeds Storm Hunter and Katerina Siniakova.
Zverev's Monte Carlo exit assures Sinner's world number one return
Inter's Frattesi pays tribute to late grandmother after Bayern win
Arya's sparkling century propels Punjab to IPL win over Chennai
Rice's stunning free kick double fires Arsenal to 3-0 win over Real Madrid
Australian cricketer Pucovski retires amid concussion struggle
