Top-ranked Victoria Azarenka into Linz final

Reuters

ANOTHER FOR AZARENKA?: Victoria Azarenka is into her ninth final of the season in Linz, Austria.

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Top-ranked Victoria Azarenka has reached her ninth final of the season and will play Julia Goerges for the Generali Ladies title in Linz, Australia.

Azarenka advanced with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Irina-Camelia Begu of Romania, and Goerges edged Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium 1-6, 6-2, 6-3.

Azarenka, who won the Australian Open in January, is going for her sixth title of the year. She is 3-1 in her career against Goerges.

Azarenka's only loss to the German came in Stuttgart last year when she pulled out with a shoulder injury after winning the opening set. Goerges went on to win that event, the most recent of her two career titles. She also won in Bad Gastein in 2010.

"Obviously I am the underdog, she is the world No. 1," Goerges said. "I will try to play my own game, focus on myself and show her how dangerous my game can be."

Azarenka has won 11 consecutive matches, rolling to her 12th career title in Beijing last week. She hasn't dropped more than two games in any set in Linz.

Azarenka produced some unusual mistakes at the beginning of her semifinal against Begu and dropped her opening service game before cruising to victory.

The 19th-ranked Goerges, who also reached the final in Dubai in February, dropped serve three times in the opening set of her semi. But she collected an early break in the second and dominated the rest of the match.

"She served well so it was hard to get into the match," Goerges said. "I am happy I managed to find my game in the second set and win the match."

- AP