KEY POINTS:
Jelena Jankovic soared high over Auckland yesterday, taking in the sights by helicopter.
And given her world ranking and form this week, chances are she will be flying high again today when she plays Russia's Vera Zvonareva in the ASB Classic final.
The top-seeded Serb didn't need to
get into her stride to beat an injured Camille Pin in her semifinal yesterday - Pin retiring with a thigh injury at 3-0 down in the first set - but Zvonareva was impressive in ending American Jill Craybas' run, 6-3, 7-5.
It promises to be a highly competitive final and, with the greatest respect to the beaten semifinalists, this is the final the neutrals would want.
Zvonareva has dropped one set in four matches, Jankovic none. And a glance at the head-to-head contests between the two hard-hitters reveals fifth seed Zvonareva has a 2-1 edge.
A closer look shows Zvonareva's two wins - at Rome on clay in 2005 and in Cincinnati on hardcourt last year - were thoroughly comprehensive, straight-set duffings.
Jankovic has been in the wars this week. She has a foot problem, exacerbated by ill-fitting shoes, and she broke toenails soon after arriving.
"It's quite painful. My feet are a disaster," she said.
But even so, she wanted a whole match yesterday to prepare for Zvonareva.
"In the beginning I thought I was playing quite well, hitting a lot of winners. But I didn't know if I was playing so well or [it was because] she couldn't move."
Poor Pin. The little Frenchwoman was always up against it, even before fate took a hand.
The world No 76 was in despair afterwards. "It's really terrible. I was playing good and to play the first seed was the best thing for me in the tournament."
When her thigh tightened, "I thought, 'no, not now'. But I could not do anything about it."
World No 24 Zvonareva showed more than enough yesterday to suggest she'll start on level terms with Jankovic, ranked 12 spots higher.
She was helped by Craybas' serving problems. Over the match, the Californian dropped seven of 10 service games.
The first set was regulation for Zvonareva, but Craybas sparked up in the second and led 2-0, 5-1 and 5-3.
However Zvonareva dug deep and won the points that really mattered. It's a trait of hers and one that she'll need today.
"Today was certainly an improvement from my first match. I certainly wasn't playing my best tennis for the whole match, but I was coming up with good shots when I needed to, and that was the key."
Zvonareva, who won two singles titles last year, at Birmingham and Cincinnati, is aiming to go one better than her visit to Auckland last year, when she lost the final to Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli.
With her hands wrapped in ice yesterday, Zvonareva's recipe for success today was straightforward.
"Jelena is a really tough opponent so I definitely have to stay aggressive, to fight for every point and use my chances - if I get any."
After today's final, there's the prospect of a sentimental first Auckland title at her last visit for Argentina's popular Paola Suarez.
The former world No 1 doubles player and her partner, Slovak Janette Husarova, will play an unseeded combination, Shikha Uberoi of India and Su-Wei Hsieh of Taipei.
Suarez and Husarova got past third seeds Eleni Daniilidou of Greece and German Jasmin Woehr 6-3, 7-5 yesterday. Uberoi and Hsieh had a free pass into the final when Chinese pair Tiantian Sun and Shengnan Sun had to pull out of their semifinal because of injury.
Suarez has won 42 doubles titles, eight of them in Grand Slams, and pocketed more than $7.25 million, but this is the last time around the globe for the 30-year-old from Pergamino.
"It will be good to try and hold a title, but I don't focus on titles," she said. "My focus is to enjoy myself and be healthy."
ROAD TO THE FINAL
5-Vera Zvonareva
beat q-L. Osterloh (US) 5-7, 6-2, 6-3
beat L. Granville (US) 6-4, 6-1
beat V. Razzano (Fra) 7-5, 2-0 ret.
beat J. Craybas (US) 6-3, 7-5
1-Jelena Jankovic
beat J. Schruff (Ger) 6-3, 6-4
beat E. Laine (Fin) 6-2, 6-1
beat 7-E. Daniilidou (Gre) 6-3, 6-4
beat C. Pin (Fra) 3-0 ret.
Today's schedule
Centre Court, from 1pm: 1-J. Jankovic (Serbia) v 5-V. Zvonareva (Russia) followed by 1-J. Husarova (Slovakia)/P. Suarez (Argentina) v Su-Wei Hsieh (Taipei)/S. Uberoi (India)