Oeiras, Portugal (SportsNetwork.com) - Reigning two-time runner-up Carla Suarez Navarro and two-time Grand Slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova will decide the titlist at the $250,000 Portugal Open, a clay court French Open tune-up.
Friday's semifinals in Oeiras saw the top-seeded Suarez Navarro, of Spain, defeat Romanian qualifier Irina-Camelia Begu 7-6 (7-3), 6-1 and the former world No. 2 star Kuznetsova crush eighth-seeded fellow Russian Elena Vesnina 6-3, 6-1.
Suarez Navarro lost to Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in last year's Oeiras finale.
The 25-year-old Suarez Navarro is winless in five career WTA finals, while the 28-year-old Kuznetsova is 13-19 in her title bouts and seeking her first title since 2010.
The world No. 29 Kuznetsova is 3-1 lifetime against the 15th-ranked Suarez Navarro, including a 1-0 record on clay.
Saturday's winner will pocket $48,000.
