Marie Bouzkova upsets Aryna Sabalenka to reach Washington Open final as Ben Shelton is beaten

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Marie Bouzkova produced an upset win as she rallied to beat top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka 6-4 3-6 6-3 on Saturday night after a long weather delay in the Mubadala Citi DC Open semi-finals.

Down 2-1 in the third set when lightning and rain stopped play for three and a half hours, Bouzkova broke Sabalenka’s serve in the first game after they resumed before breaking again for a 5-3 lead and closing out the Australian Open champion with a love game.

Sabalenka was playing her first tournament since withdrawing from Wimbledon because of a shoulder injury.

Awaiting Bouzkova in her first WTA 500 final is Paula Badosa of Spain, a 6-3 6-3 winner over Caroline Dolehide of the United States in the first semi-final.

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Sebastian Korda beats Frances Tiafoe to reach the Washington Open final, 27 years after his father reached the very same final

Bouzkova won her lone career title in 2002 in Prague. Ranked as high as No 2, Badosa has slipped to 62nd after a back injury sidelined her for six months last year.

Fourth-seeded Sebastian Korda will face 10th-seeded Flavio Cobolli of Italy in the men’s final, with both looking for their first ATP Tour title.

Korda beat fifth-seeded Frances Tiafoe, from nearby College Park in Maryland, 6-4 6-4 in an all-American match that ended shortly after midnight.

Cobolli knocked off second-seeded Ben Shelton of the United States 4-6 7-5 6-3 in a match moved to a secondary court.

Korda is trying to become the first American to win the Washington event since Andy Roddick in 2007.

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