Agnieszka Radwanska storms into final

Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska waves to the crowd after her 6-1, 6-1 win over Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic in the Connecticut Open semi-finals in New Haven, USA, on Friday. (Photo: AFP)

Top-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska breezed through her Connecticut Open semi-final Friday, routing two-time defending champion Petra Kvitova 6-1, 6-1.

Radwanska, who will be seeded fourth next week in the US Open, was never challenged.

The Polish star won the first five games of the first set and the first four in the second against her Czech opponent, who has been fighting off a cold all week.

The 27-year-old is looking for her second title of the year after winning the Shenzhen Open in China in January.

“It’s good that I’m again in this level that I can really play my best tennis, especially before the Grand Slam,” she said. She will face the Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina in the final.

The 21-year-old Svitolina ousted Sweden’s Johanna Larsson 6-4, 6-2. Svitolina beat Serena Williams in the Olympics and is ranked no. 23 in the world. She’s 4-0 in WTA finals, but this will be her first in a Premier event.

“It feels, of course, more special because it’s a premier event,” Svitolina said. “For the rest, I don’t think this way. It’s just a final, you know. My goal is to win a Grand Slam. It’s just another step in the right direction.”

Radwansaka also has never won a Grand Slam, but is looking for her 19th WTA singles title. Fifteen of those have come on hard courts.

She had never made it past the quarterfinals in New Haven, but had a relatively easy trip this year that included a first round bye and straight set wins over Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia and lucky loser Kirsten Flipkins of Belgium The loss snapped an 11-match winning streak for Kvitova in New Haven, where the Olympic bronze medalist was looking to join Venus Williams and Caroline Wozniacki as four-time winners.