Cibulkova breaks new ground with first grass final

Dominika Cibulkova will play her first final on grass after crushing qualifier Monica Puig 6-2, 6-1 yesterday at the WTA Eastbourne event.
Slovak Cibulkova won her second match of the day after finishing off a rain-hit quarter-final paused from Thursday night, where she trailed a set and a break before coming out again yesterday against Agnieszka Radwanska.
The former Australian Open finalist turned the tables on the Pole to post a 4-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-3 win, then came back on court to play Puig, the number 43.
Cibulkova , who underwent Achilles surgery last season and has been fighting back to form by reaching her fourth final of 2016, will play for her unprecedented grass honours today, facing Karolina Pliskova after the Czech put out Brit Johanna Konta 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 6-3 in two-and-a-quarter hours with 12 aces. Cibulkova won her only previous match against Pliskova, a Kuala Lumpur semi-final two years ago.
“This is my best day ever on a grass court. I’m extremely happy,” said Cibulkova. “I was able to win twice today and I’m happy. “We will see about the final. This will be my first final on grass so I’m really satisfied.”
In the quarter-finals, Radwanska had been bidding to stay in the chase for a second trophy at the pre-Wimbledon tune-up after winning the title in 2008 and losing the final a year ago to Belinda Bencic.
But the top seed Radwanska could not hold onto her 6-4, 3-2 lead over Cibulkova from Thursday night when rain stopped play.
The WTA number three said that despite the result, she is ready for Wimbledon: “I’m healthy. I’m good. Of course it’s always disappointing when you lose, and especially that type of long match. Well, what can you do? “I’m in the match rhythm. I picked up good matches here. “I don’t think I was playing good enough today, she was playing really aggressive, good tennis. I stepped backwards a little bit too much. That wasn’t helping me.”
Cibulkova had lost seven of her last 11 matches with Radwanska but won their last meeting, a first-round upset in Madrid in May. “I’m very happy with this win, Aggie and I have played lots of times [this was their 12th] but never on grass. “Conditions made it difficult but I found myself playing better and better with each game. I came back strong today - that’s why I won. Two other quarter-finals were completed to get the event back on schedule. Pliskova beat Elena Vesnina 6-1, 6-3 while 11th-seeded Konta, who stood 140th a year ago, booked into the final four by defeating 2010 champion Ekaterina Makarova 7-6 (7-5), 6-4.