Dolehide saves four match points, outlasts Bronzetti in Guangzhou semifinals
American qualifier earns first career WTA final appearance by rallying past Italian in three-set thriller
Qualifier Caroline Dolehide saved four match points and rallied to defeat Lucia Bronzetti 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 on Saturday to reach the Guangzhou Open final.
The 23-year-old American, competing in just her second WTA semifinal, served for the match at 5-4 in the third set but was broken by Bronzetti. Dolehide then saved a match point in the 11th game and three more in the 12th game before finally converting her second match point to seal the victory after 2 hours and 42 minutes.
Dolehide's victory is a major upset, as Bronzetti was the top seed in the tournament and ranked 58th in the world. Dolehide, meanwhile, is ranked 124th in the world and had never reached a WTA semifinal before.
In the final, Dolehide will face either top-seeded Zhang Shuai of China or fifth-seeded Aleksandra Krunic of Serbia. Zhang is the highest-ranked player in the tournament at No. 24 in the world, while Krunic is ranked 57th.
Dolehide's victory is a testament to her fighting spirit and her ability to come through in clutch moments. She saved four match points in the third set and won the final game despite being down 0-40.
The American has been in impressive form all week in Guangzhou. She has won four matches in straight sets, including victories over two seeded players.
