Two very different roads to the finals, but hey, a final it is. Bepa manhandled a very exhausted Mono, 60 62. Bepa is playing with such confidence and conviction, it's really great to see. For whatever reason, I've always had a soft spot for her, so I'm psyched she's officially qualified for Doha.
As for Ana, it was a typical Ana. Absolutely on fire in the first set, let down in the second set, and a grind out third set. She served horribly throughout the match (37% in the first set!) but when it counted in the third set and she absolutely had to hold, she didn't miss a first serve. No doubt she's going to need to pick it up against Bepa. Agi also deserves some props. This is the best I've seen her play since Eastbourne. Hopefully she uses the off season to work on her fitness. She needs to get stronger.
One more note about the Ana/Agi match. Why, oh why, can Ana not play aggressively ALL THE TIME. There were flashes of that killer/angry instinct and then something would go wrong and she'd get distracted and have a let down. Also, Ana had some great net play in the first and second set, but then she got tenative and stayed on the baseline in the third. I have a feeling that of all the top players, Ana will benefit the most from on-court coaching next year.
