Emma Navarro Advances to WTA Final, Faces Emiliana Arango Sunday

MÉRIDA, Mexico — Emma Navarro of the United States secured her spot in her second WTA singles final after defeating Armenia’s Elina Avanesyan 6-3, 6-3 during the semifinals of the Mérida Open Akron on Saturday night. The match, part of the WTA 500 event held on hard courts, showcased Navarro’s commanding performance as she aims for her second title after winning in Hobart in 2024.

Navarro, currently ranked No. 10 in the world, faced Avanesyan for the second time, having previously bested her in straight sets at Auckland last year. With this victory, Navarro improved her record in the tournament to five wins without dropping a set.

“I played the tennis that I love to play, where there’s a lot of variation, scrapping points out and running a bit, definitely being aggressive when there’s opportunities to,” Navarro said following her match. “That’s what I love about playing.”

On the other side of the draw, Colombian qualifier Emiliana Arango triumphed in a marathon match against fellow qualifier Daria Saville, winning 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 in a grueling 2 hours and 52 minutes. This semifinal marked Arango’s first WTA Tour singles final, and she is set to make her Top 100 debut on Monday.

“It’s a very surreal feeling,” said Arango after her victory. “I think we both tried to keep adjusting our games, to see which way we could get a bit of an edge. It was a very entertaining match, and I had a lot of fun playing it.”

Navarro and Arango have met once prior, in January 2023, where Navarro won 6-3, 6-1 at an ITF Challenger event in Naples, Florida.

The semifinals revealed the depth of competition at the Mérida Open, with Navarro as the top seed showing consistency throughout the tournament. Meanwhile, Arango’s entry into the final as a qualifier added an element of surprise, following a series of impressive victories including a notable win over 40th-ranked Rebecca Sramkova.

Navarro effectively managed the early pressure from Avanesyan, overcoming five break points within her first three service games. After surviving the challenging start, Navarro broke serve to take a 4-2 lead and maintained control to close out the first set. In the second set, although six of the nine games went against serve, Navarro showcased her resilience and power, ultimately recording 19 winners compared to Avanesyan’s eight.

As Navarro prepares for the final on Sunday, observers are keen to see if she can maintain her dominant form against Arango, who has been riding a wave of momentum with 11 consecutive match wins.

“This will be my second meeting against a Top 10 player, and I hope to perform well,” Arango noted, reflecting on the significance of the upcoming match. “It has indeed been quite a journey.”