Korda crushed in Adelaide, Ostapenko into women’s final

Adelaide (AFP): Third seed Sebastian Korda was dismantled 6-2, 6-1 on Friday as Jiri Lehecka reached the Adelaide International final, while Jelena Ostapenko battled into the women’s decider.

Lehecka completely dominated proceedings against the American at Memorial Drive, racing through the match in just 73 minutes as he builds towards the Australian Open.

The Czech seventh seed will play either Briton Jack Draper or Russian eighth seed Alexander Bublik in Saturday’s final. Lehecka telegraphed his intentions from the start with a serve to love then broke in the second game.

Korda, son of 1998 Australian Open champion Petr Korda, was unable to mount any real resistance as the 22-year-old surged into only his second career final.

“I’m a bit surprised that it went this well,” he said. “But I did all I could to make it happen. “I’m happy to be looking at a place in the final. I did good work in the off-season and it’s working well. “But there is one more step so we will see tomorrow,” added the Czech player, whose ranking will improve to a career-best 26.

In the women’s semi-finals, Latvian sixth seed Ostapenko defeated Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-2, 7-6 (7/3), a victory that will propel her back into the top 10 for the first time in six years when the new rankings are released on Monday.

Currently ranked 12, the former French Open champion will vie for the title against another Russian in Daria Kasatkina, who earned a walkover win when American second seed Jessica Pegula withdrew with illness.

“She can serve big and was hitting great,” Ostapenko said of Alexandrova. “But I was just trying to play my game. “I’m glad I won in two sets. I’ve been trying to play more aggressive, it’s something we’ve been working on. I’m feeling good and looking forward to the final.”

Ostapenko is bidding for a seventh career trophy.