Golovin in line for a first title

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AMELIA ISLAND, Florida -- France's Tatiana Golovin defeated sixth seed Ana Ivanovic of Serbia 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 in the semi-finals of the 600,000 dollar WTA Amelia Island tournament on Saturday.

The 19-year-old Golovin advances to Sunday's final where she will face top seeded Russian Nadia Petrova who won in straight sets over Sybille Bammer of Austria 7-6 (7/4), 6-1.

Using a series of service breaks in the third set, the eighth-seeded Golovin is one win away from an elusive first career WTA title.

A French citizen who was born in Moscow, Golovin is headed to her fourth career final and first since Stuttgart a year ago. She turned pro in 2002.

Last month at Indian Wells, Golovin, the world's 20th ranked player, defeated an ailing Petrova but lost to Bammer in her next match.

Golovin avoided a similar letdown in this Tier II claycourt event. One day after her straight-sets victory over crowd favourite Venus Williams, she took the first set from Ivanovic, who was coming off an upset of second-seeded countrywoman Jelena Jankovic.

The Serbian stunner rebounded to win the second set but stumbled in the third set, when the players traded a handful of service breaks. Golovin scored the crucial one, going up, 5-2.

Ivanovic broke and held, but Golovin closed out the match with an overhand winner.

Ranked seventh in the world, Petrova won the Paris Indoors earlier this season.

She had reached the semi-finals with a 6-4, 7-5 win over fifth-seeded compatriot Dinara Safina.

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The 19-year-old Golovin now faces top seed Petrova

Golovin in line for a first title

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