Japan Open: American teen Krueger through to first WTA final

The 19-year-old will play the winner of the match between top seed Lin Zhu and No 3 seed Xinyu Wang in the final

Ashlyn Krueger at the 2023 WTA National Bank Open in Canada

Icon SMI / Panoramic

Tennis Majors

September 16, 2023

Kinoshita Group Japan Open •Semi-final • completed

See draw

A. KruegervsM. Hontama

American Ashlyn Krueger won against Japanese wildcard Mai Hontama 6-3, 6-3 to move into the final of the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships on Saturday.

This is the first WTA Tour level final for the 19-year-old American, who is now projected to make her top 100 debut in the world rankings next week.

Teenage Breakthrough!

19yo Ashlyn Krueger will always remember Osaka.

The young American will play her first ever WTA final in the Japanese city on Sunday after defeating Mai Hontama, 6-3, 6-3.

And, no matter what happens next, Krueger will make her top 100 debut on Monday. 📈 pic.twitter.com/izkdQBk2K1
— Tick Tock Tennis (@TickTockTennis) September 16, 2023

Krueger, ranked No 123 currently, will face the winner of the match between top seed Lin Zhu and No 3 seed Xinyu Wang in the final.

Ahead of her win today, the American teen defeated Ukrainian Kateryna Baindl, the No 8 seed (6-2, 6-3), Frenchwoman Jessika Ponchet (6-4, 6-1) and Russian Anna Kalinskaya (6-3, 6-1).

Hontama, ranked No 176 in the world, had scored wins over Su Jeong Jang (7-5, 0-6, 6-2), Argentinian Nadia Podoroska, the No 5 seed (6-3, 6-3) and Dutch qualifier Arianne Hartono (6-7 (2), 6-4, 6-1) in the previous rounds.

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