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Rybakina prevailed in a fairly straight-forward
first set in a match delayed by more than an hour - and then
interrupted - due to persistent rain.
Ostapenko gained momentum in the second set and took a 3-0 lead
but Rybakina shortened the distance to 4-2 just before rain
briefly forced the players off court.
Rybakina was leading 40-15 in the game when play got suspended
once more but the Kazakh player came out on top after it
resumed, and rallied to win five games in a row in total to seal
the victory.
"It was a really tough day overall, with all the rain delays.
I'm just happy to be in the final," Rybakina told a news
conference.
"I didn't start that well the second set. A bit low on energy,
lost my serve. So it was difficult. Then a few good shots from (Ostapenko),
good serves. It changed very quickly.
"I'm happy that physically I can maintain and stay so long in
the tournament till the end."
In her third WTA 1000 final of the season Rybakina will face
30th seed Kalinina, after the Ukrainian survived a second-set
scare against Veronika Kudermetova of Russia in a battling 7-5
5-7 6-2 victory.
Kudermetova started strongly, but the tables quickly turned as
the Russian failed to convert eight of her nine break-points in
the first set, with her 26-year-old opponent capitalising on her
wastefulness to edge ahead in the encounter.
Kalinina broke early in the second set to take a 3-2 lead and
appeared on course for a comfortable win, but with her back
against the wall Kudermetova mounted a spirited comeback,
winning 16 straight points to level the match.
Kalinina headed off for a lengthy bathroom break to regroup
before the third set and emerged a player reborn, playing with
renewed confidence to win the first four games of the decider en
route to sealing a spot in her first WTA 1000 final.
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru and Anita Kobylinska in
Gdansk; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
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