Top seeds Rybarikova, Strycova reach Ladies Linz final

LINZ, Austria (AP) - Top-seeded Magdalena Rybarikova defeated Viktorija Golubic of Switzerland 6-4, 6-4 at the Ladies Linz on Saturday to set up a final against Barbora Strycova of the Czech Republic.

Strycova beat Mihaela Buzarnescu of Romania 6-3, 7-6 (3) to advance to her first final of the season.

Rybarikova is after her fifth career title. The 28th-ranked Slovak hasn't appeared in a WTA final since 2014, and hasn't won a title since 2013 in Washington.

She is 1-3 in career meetings with Strycova, and beat her only when they met for the first time 10 years ago.

Having won 20 doubles tournaments, the 26th-ranked Strycova will be aiming for her second career singles title, six years after winning in Quebec City.

Rybarikova took a medical timeout in the opening set against Golubic to have her right thigh taped then didn't appear hampered. She recovered from 4-1 down, taking the next five games to win the opening set.

Rybarikova added two more breaks in the second set to wrap up the victory against Golubic, who lost last year's final to Dominika Cibulkova.

In the first semifinal, Strycova built on an early 3-0 lead to clinch the opening set against Buzarnescu and also went a break up in the second. She lost her serve at 3-2 but closed out the win on her first match point in the tiebreaker.