Nadia Petrova has reached her first final since 2008 and the 20th of her career after a 2-6 6-2 6-2 victory over Maria Kirilenko in the semis of the Pilot Pen Tennis at Yale.

Kirilenko won the first set in 39 minutes, breaking the eighth-seeded Petrova twice and without dropping her own serve. But then Petrova started to play better and Kirilenko’s low back injury that she got "out of nowhere" took the toll. Petrova won all her service games in the remaining two sets and defeated her fellow Russian who refused to retire despite the pain.

The second semifinal will feature No.4 seed Elena Dementieva and No.1 seed Caroline Wozniacki. (photo courtesy of Fiji Water)

Top seed at the Pilot Pen Tennis at Yale, Caroline Wozniacki, didn’t even have to play her quarterfinal match as Flavia Pennetta withdrew with a right foot injury. The Dane’s opponent in the semifinals will be No.4 seed Elena Dementieva who fought for exactly three hours to defeat No.6 seed Marion Bartoli 6-3 3-6 6-2.

Second seed Samantha Stosur was quickly beaten by seed No.7 Nadia Petrova, 6-2 6-1 in just 53 minutes. Stosur started the match by breaking Petrova’s serve, but from then on Petrova lost just three points in her other six service games and broke Stosur five times. Petrova now has 4-0 head-to-head record against Stosur, and all her wins came in straight sets (actually, she has never lost more than three games in any of those sets).

Maria Kirilenko will be Petrova’s opponent in the semifinals. Kirilenko advanced with a 6-3 6-3 win over Dinara Safina. After the match Kirilenko commented on Safina’s weakened game: "Before she was more aggressive, but now she's making longer points, and it's not hurting you as much." (source: Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, photo: Ralf Reinecke)

Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki defended a title for the first time in her career by defeating Russia's Elena Vesnina 6-2 6-4 and winning the New Haven title for the second year in a row.

In the Pilot Pen Tennis presented by Schick final, the world No.23 Vesnina hit three times as many winners as Wozniacki, but ruined the advantage with four times as many errors as Wozniacki.

Vesnina was playing her second career final, at the same time her second this season, while Wozniacki won her third title of the year, after Ponte Vedra Beach and Eastbourne. (via Women Who Serve, photo via Pilot Pen Tennis)

Second seed Caroline Wozniacki and Elena Vesnina won their semifinal matches at the Pilot Pen Tennis presented by Schick, which were moved indoors due to pouring rain in New Haven.

The world No.9 Wozniacki beat third seed Flavia Pennetta by winning eighth of the nine games after being tied at 4-4 in the first set. The world No.32 Vesnina upset eighth seed Amelie Mauresmo in the semifinals, recovering from a tight first set loss to win 5-7 6-1 6-2. By beating the victor over top seed Svetlana Kuznetsova, Vesnina made her second upset of the tournament (after beating ninth seed Samantha Stosur in the second round).

Vesnina will play only her second career final on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, at the same time her second this season, while Wozniacki will play her 11th singles final, and seventh this season.

Wozniacki has won two of three meetings with Vesnina. They are tied at 1-1 this season. (photos: Ralf Reinecke)

Eighth seed Amelie Mauresmo upset top seed Svetlana Kuznetsova in the quarterfinals of the Pilot Pet Tennis presented by Schick 7-6(9) 2-6 6-3.

The former world No.1 Mauresmo saved five set points in the opening set, and won the tiebeak 11-9. The second set she lost easily, while in the third she reclaimed the momentum to advance to the semifinals.

Mauresmo’s next opponent will be Elena Vesnina, who defeated Gisela Dulko in the first round, seed No.9 Samantha Stosur in the second, and Anna Chakvetadze in the quarterfinals. (photo: Stephane Martinache)