Anna Leigh Waters kicked off semifinal action at Mission Hills Country Club with an 11-4, 11-1 victory over No. 7 seed Parris Todd.

The match was more competitive than the score line indicates, with Waters’ ability to end points at the kitchen line—despite several impressive passing shots from Todd—ultimately being the difference.

“Parris and I play pretty similarly. I feel like we both like staying back, but when we get the opportunity, we’ll come to the net,” Waters explained. “I was trying to come to the net a little bit more than she was in this match, I felt like, because I didn’t want to have these long, grindy points because that’s what she thrives on.”

One of the keys to avoiding those extended rallies was hitting precise approach shots that didn’t give Todd a good look at a pass.

Even though her approaches were on point on Saturday Waters says that wasn’t always the case.

“I actually used to really struggle with my approach shots,” she revealed. “I feel like when I struggle with something, that ends up becoming one of my strengths because I just work on them so much.”

The 17-year-old phenom will face Kaitlyn Christian in the final.

Kaitlyn Christian triumphed in the second semifinal, coming away with a 7-11, 11-5, 11-5 victory over No. 4 seed Catherine Parenteau.

It was a physical contest between the two stars, with Christian’s commitment to coming into the net helping her recover after dropping the first game.

Christian spoke about the importance of her fitness routine in helping her stay fresh in long matches.

“I love to run. That’s one of my hobbies, and I actually want to try and do a marathon this year,” she explained. “I pride myself on being as fit as possible and being in the best shape that I can.”

Christian is now into her second straight final on the PPA Tour after earning her first career title in Daytona last month.

The job won’t get any easier in the final, however, as she’ll take on top-seeded Anna Leigh Waters.