Christian outduels Wang in hard-fought second game, advances to singles final
BRISTOL, TN - Sixth-seeded Kaitlyn Christian advanced to the women’s singles final at the IHG Hotels & Resorts Bristol Open presented by Deep Eddy Vodka on Thursday.
The former USC tennis standout defeated No. 14 seed Chao Yi Wang 11-4, 13-11 in the semis to secure a matchup against No. 5 seed Brooke Buckner on Championship Sunday.
After a relatively easy triumph over Wang in the first game, Christian needed five match points in the second stanza to seal the deal and earn another shot at a gold medal.
Only Buckner stands in her way.
“Brooke is playing really well right now. I played her last week and she wiped me off the court,” mentioned Christian, referencing an 11-3, 11-6 loss in the semi-finals at the Selkirk Kansas City Open presented by Stratusphere Gin. “It’s just another opportunity to compete on Sunday against her and take my chances. We’ll see what happens.”
Even though Buckner is riding high after winning her second singles crown of the year in KC, Christian should be feeling confident after besting the likes of Madalina Grigoriu, Anna Bright and Nicole Eugenio on Thursday as well.
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