Johanna Konta overcame a rain delay to secure her place in the final of the Nature Valley Open in Nottingham for the second successive year with a 6-2 6-3 victory against Donna Vekic.
In the second match on court, the British number one breezed through the opening set in half-an-hour before, with Vekic having called for the trainer and looking ready to go for further treatment, the players were forced off by rain.
After around an hour delay, Konta, who had been defeated by Vekic in the 2017 final, regained her composure to move 3-1 ahead.
However, the 21-year-old Croatian recovered to break back and level at 3-3.
World number 22 Konta, though, immediately regained the momentum against Vekic’s serve before a hold put her within sight of the final, and she then broke again on a first match-chance.
Top-seed Ashleigh Barty awaits in Sunday’s final after the Australian beat Naomi Osaka of Japan 6-3 6-4.
Speaking to Eurosport 2 courtside, Konta said: “It was definitely challenging, for both of us and for different reasons.
“It is never easy with a rain delay, so I am very happy to have battled through, to keep my mind on the task at hand and do the best I can with the conditions.”
The British number one beat Barty in the quarter-finals at Nottingham last year.
Looking ahead to Sunday’s final, Konta said: “I know she is a very crafty and talented player, especially on this surface.
“She has defintely improved a lot since last year as well, is playing incredibly well and so it is going to be a tough match for me, and I am looking forward to that.”
Earlier, former British number two Dan Evans came from behind to beat Marcel Granollers and book his place in the final of the ATP Challenger Tour second-tier event.
The 28-year-old is continuing his return from a drugs ban, but was soon put on the back foot by veteran Spaniard Granollers, who made the most of an early break to claim the opening set 6-4.
Evans, who has been handed a wildcard entry for the Fever-Tree Championships at Queen’s Club next week, recovered to level the match when two breaks saw him take the second set 6-2.
The deciding set proved a tense affair until Evans finally converted a break point chance to lead 5-3 and then served out for the match.
Evans’ 4-6 6-2 6-3 victory over the world number 134 at the second-tier event was completed in just under two hours.
The Briton will go on to face Australia’s Alex de Minaur after the second seed beat Ilya Ivashka of Belarus 6-2 6-4.
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