Jelena Jankovic needed two pain-killing injections and nearly three hours to beat Venus Williams as Saturday's semi-final of Stuttgart's WTA event turned into a battle royal.
Jankovic will play Russia's Nadia Petrova in Sunday's final after her impressive 6-7 (8/10), 7-5, 6-2 semi-final win over sixth-seed Williams.
The 23-year-old Serb needed injections to numb the pain from a toe-nail she split in Friday's quarter-final win over Vera Zvonareva.
But she brushed off the discomfort and recovered from losing the first set to dominate her American opponent.
‘That was a tough game, it's always hard to play Venus,’ said Jankovic.
‘I had to run a lot - I was not sure I would play today, because I had to have two injections.
‘I was screaming in pain before the doctor put the needle in.’
After Williams won the first set-tie breaker 10/8, Jankovic rallied and ended up breaking her opponent five times in the match which lasted two hours and 45 minutes.
Jankovic won the China Open in Beijing last week and will regain the world number one ranking from Serena Williams regardless of Sunday’s final, but says she expects a hard battle against Petrova.
‘It will be tough, she is serving well, but I am hoping for my second win in two weeks,’ said Jankovic.
Former champion Petrova won her semi-final in straight sets against Belarussian teenager Victoria Azarenka.
Petrova, who won here in 2006, needed just an hour and 29 minutes to seal a 6-4, 6-4 win over 19-year-old Azarenka hitting eight aces along the way.
Having been world number three in 2006, Petrova has slipped down the rankings to 18th and, despite beating Tatiana Golovin to win here two years ago, the Russian is unseeded.
This was the fifth time this season Azarenka has reached a WTA semi-final, but Petrova, 26, has been improving steadily since winning the Cincinnati tournament and had too much experience for the teenager.
‘I am so excited to be back in the final and playing my best tennis,’ said the Russian.
‘All the hard work at the start of the season is paying off. I have got my focus back and I am following a game plan without letting my mind wander.’
