ST. PETERSBURG, Russia — Belinda Bencic of Switzerland beat Daria Kasatkina of Russia 6-4, 6-3 in a battle of 18-year-olds to book a St. Petersburg final against Roberta Vinci of Italy, who earlier in the day downed Serbia's Ana Ivanovic in straight sets.
Bencic came under pressure from Kasatkina but secured a win that ensures she will debut in the WTA top 10 Monday regardless of the result of Sunday's final.
"This is a huge moment for me. To be in the top 10 is always like a dream for every small kid," Bencic, currently ranked 11th in the world, said in televised comments.