Top-seeded Nadia Petrova withdrew from the semifinals of the Korea Open on Saturday, leaving Czech opponent Klara Zakopalova with a place in the final against Russian Alisa Kleybanova.
Petrova was trailing 5-4 in the opening set when the Russian decided that she couldn't continue due to illness, putting the 39th-ranked Zakopalova in Sunday's decider at Seoul Olympic Park.
Fifth-seeded Kleybanova defeated eighth-seeded Agnes Szavay of Hungary, 6-3, 6-2 in the other semifinal. The first set lasted 62 minutes, partly due to Kleybanova needing six deuces to hold her serve in the opening game.
''In the first set, especially at the beginning of the set for a couple of games, we had many deuces and advantages. It was tough, really tough,'' Kleybanova said. ''I wasn't thinking about winning or losing, though, I just tried to focus on each point.''
The 28th-ranked Russian is aiming for her second career title after winning in Kuala Lumpur earlier this year.
