Petrova advances to final of Pan Pacific

Nadia Petrova of Russia overpowered Australia's Samantha Stosur 6-4, 6-2 on Friday to advance to the final of the Pan Pacific Open.

Nadia Petrova of Russia overpowered Australia's Samantha Stosur 6-4, 6-2 on Friday to advance to the final of the Pan Pacific Open.

Petrova set the pace early when she broke the Stosur in the first game and had nine aces en route to the semifinal victory at Tokyo's Ariake Coliseum.

Any chance for a comeback by Stosur was dashed when Petrova broke the ninth-seeded Australian in the seventh game of second set to go up 5-2.

The tournament's 17th seeded player will face the winner of Friday's other semifinal between defending champion Agnieskza Rdwanska of Poland and Germany's Angelique Kerber, who advance to the semis after top-ranked Victoria Azarenka withdrew on Thursday after a bout of dizziness in her third-round match on Wednesday.