Agnieszka Radwanska takes advantage of family 'break' to reach final

Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska dumped a frustrated Jelena Jankovic out of the Dubai Tennis Championship to progress to her first final in six UAE appearances.

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Dubai // Agnieszka Radwanska dumped a frustrated Jelena Jankovic out of the Dubai Tennis Championship on Friday night to progress to her first final in six UAE appearances.

The world No 6 claimed the first set 6-2 before a determined Jankovic won the second 6-2.

But Jankovic's form deserted her in the final set. The former world No 1, now ranked No 14, served up four double faults, sprayed her baseline shots wide and long and smashed her volleys into the net and flopped to a 6-0 loss.

Jankovic lives in Dubai and considers the Aviation Club event to be her "home" tournament, but she has never won it.

Radwanska sustained her successful finish to last season, when she picked up trophies in Carlsbad and Tokyo.

She will contest her first Dubai final, and she is radiating confidence.

"That was one of my best matches in Dubai," said the 22-year-old Pole, who is no longer travelling to tournaments with her father, Robert, her coach for 17 years.

"I had good results last year at the end of the season and I'm just happy I can play the same good tennis and continue my great performance. I'm pretty calm and just concentrating on my game and hopefully I can do the same in the final."

She pinpointed the decision for her father to stay home as a factor in her improved form.

"It's a little break," she said, adding that they still speak every day.

"We had some arguments off the court. On court we always had a good relationship.

"Without him I wouldn't be here, but sometimes it gets too much, mixing private life with tennis."