Beatriz Haddad Maia, Daria Kasatkina double up to reach final in Seoul

Beatriz Haddad Maia, Daria Kasatkina both doubled up on Saturday to reach the championship match at the Hana Bank Korea Open, winning their quarterfinal and semifinal matches on the same day after rain washed out Friday's slate of play.

Recent US Open quarterfinalist Haddad Maia, the third seed, defeated both Kudermetova sisters in her matches. First, the left-hander ended the run of lucky loser Polina Kudermetova, the younger of the two ranked No. 163, 6-2, 6-1, before she topped the elder Veronika 6-4, 6-4 in a semifinal between two players who have reached the Top 10 in the WTA rankings.

Haddad Maia is 11-2 in her previous three events, having also finished as runner-up in Cleveland the week prior to the year's final Grand Slam.

Meanwhile, Kasatkina only needed to play one set in her quarterfinal match against 2021 US Open winner Emma Raducanu, who retired with a foot injury after losing the first set 6-1. In the semifinals, Kasatkina cooled off No. 4 seed Diana Shnaider, defeating the 20-year-old who was bidding for a fourth final of 2024, 6-4, 6-3.

In her first visit to Seoul, Kasatkina is through to her fifth final of the season, and after losing the first three, bids to add to the trophy she won in Eastbourne in June.

Kasatkina has lost two of her three career matches against Haddad Maia, but beat her earlier this year in a marathon 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(2) semifinal in Abu Dhabi.

"[Haddad Maia] never gives up, and she's an amazing player," Kasatkina said, looking ahead to the final. "I have to prepare well for this match.

"But for the moment, I'm just enjoying myself, enjoying being in the final. A little bit of joy now, and then come back to the office tomorrow."