Parmentier to meet Larsson in Pro-Series final

By arjones

PAULINE PARMENTIER outserved Ksenia Pervak to reach the final of the AEGON Pro-Series Barnstaple.

With a hugely impressive performance, the French third seed but the number one seed from Russia 6-2, 6-3.

Parmentier will start as clear favourite for tomorrow's final against Johanna Larsson having marched through the draw without dropping a set.

The danger signs had been there for Pervak yesterday when her straight-sets quarter-final win over Emma Laine featured nine breaks of serve.

There was nothing between Parmentier and Pervak when the ball was live, demonstrated by the number of long baseline rallies that entertained the spectators at the Tarka Tennis Centre.

But Parmentier was in control of her own destiny thanks to her greater consistency of serve.

The 23-year-old world number 124 raced into a 3-0 lead against an opponent she had never played before. Her second break wrapped up the first set inside 25 minutes.

Pervak hit back in the second set with her first break of the match to take a 2-1 lead.

But rather than cash in on her advantage, the Russian's serve let her down again.

Three double faults in a row handed Parmentier three break points in the next game.

Pervak then produced a wide serve her opponent was only just able to return, only to put a forehand wide and lose the game.

Parmentier said: "She played better in the second set and broke me in the third game, but then she made three double faults, so I said 'thank you'! It was a good present for me and after that I played better."

She saw two break points pass her by in the eighth game, but from the third she dispatched a top-spin forehand into the corner, enabling her to serve for a place in the final.

She missed out on one match point when a weak second serve gave Pervak a chance to dictate play.

But Parmentier soon had another match point and this time she didn't need a second invitation, firing down a superb serve that gave Pervak no chance of controlling the return.

Parmentier's opponent tomorrow will be bidding to end a run of six defeats in finals.

The unseeded Larsson beat fellow Swede Sofia Arvidsson 3-6, 6-0, 6-0 and is also in the doubles final with Britain's Anna Smith — giving her two shots at ending the run of disappointments.

"I have had six straight finals I have lost, so now I have two more chances," said the 21-year-old.

"I would be really happy if I could win one, but to win two would be amazing."

A sluggish start this afternoon saw Larsson, who had a punishing three-setter in yesterday's quarter-final, lose the first set to the number four seed. But she then reeled off 12 games in a row to reach the final of a $50,000 tournament for the first time.

"In the second game I felt so tired it was a joke," said Larsson. "I was like 'oh my God, I'm so tired and there's a whole match left already'. Playing both singles and doubles takes a lot of energy.

"After the first set I felt it was a long way back. But then I just played really good and sometimes during the match I felt I couldn't miss. That is quite a good feeling to have.

"I was really tired and I was sometimes going for some crazy shots and today was my day."

Larsson already has one victory over Parmentier this week, having teamed up with Smith to knock the Frenchwoman and Yulia Fedossova out in Friday night's doubles semi-final, 6-2, 6-4.

Larsson and Smith will meet defending champions Laine and Kelly Anderson in the final.

They defeated Anna Gerasimou and Katalin Marosi, conquerors of Laura Robson and Heather Watson.

After losing the first set 6-2, Laine and Anderson bounced back to win the second 6-4 and take the match 10-5 in the super tie-break.

Tomorrow's singles final will start at 1pm, with the doubles following.