Vinci tops Ivanovic to reach St. Petersburg finals

Roberta Vinci. (Rob Griffith/AP)

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia — Roberta Vinci of Italy topped Serbia’s Ana Ivanovic 7-5, 6-4 to reach the final of the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy on Saturday.

Vinci, ranked 16th in the world, was 3-0 down in the first set before recovering to win in straight sets, recording just 12 unforced errors to 29 for Ivanovic.

Vinci said it was "an incredible match" and that she was "so happy" to make the final of the inaugural St. Petersburg tournament.

Vinci is 9-5 in career tour singles finals but has lost four since her last win in Palermo in 2013, including last year’s U.S. Open final.

Vinci’s opponent in the final will be either top-seeded Belinda Bencic of Switzerland or Daria Kasatkina of Russia.

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