PARIS, March 7 (Xinhua) -- Australian Open champion and top seed Sofia Kenin held the tough challenge from Belgian Alison Van Uytvanck in the semifinal at the WTA Lyon Open on Saturday, surviving three tiebreaks to set up the final against Anna-Lena Friedsam of Germany.
The unseeded Friedsam, the world No. 136, saw off Daria Kasatkina of Russia 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 to secure her second WTA Tour final appearance.
It's Kenin's sixth final in her career and the first since she claimed her first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January. The 21-year-old American withstood Uytvanck's 22 Aces and fired 29 winners to reach Sunday's showdown by 7-6(5), 6-7(2), 7-6(2).
The victory is also a sign that the world No. 5 has bounced back from her struggling run after Melbourne, having been knocked out in the first round in two consecutive events in Dubai and Doha.
The final will be the first head-to-head meeting between Kenin and Friedsam.
