Elena Vesnina beats Sloane Stephens to reach Hobart final
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Unseeded Russian Elena Vesnina defeated American teenager Sloane Stephens 6-2, 6-2 on Friday to reach the final of the Hobart International.
Vesnina needed 69 minutes to beat the 19-year-old Stephens to reach her seventh WTA Tour final.
The 26-year-old Vesnina will meet the winner of Friday's late semifinal between defending champion Mona Barthel of Germany and Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Vesnina controlled her semifinal from the outset, breaking Stephens in the opening game and racing to a 5-0 lead in less than 20 minutes. Stephens saved three set points in a brief rally, but couldn't stop Vesnina's dominance.