TOKYO, July 29 — Czech Marketa Vondrousova set up an Olympic women’s tennis final against Belinda Bencic by hammering Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina todayin Tokyo.

Svitolina was the highest-ranked player left in the draw after shock early exits for Naomi Osaka, beaten by Vondrousova, and Ashleigh Barty, but crashed to a 6-3, 6-1 defeat.

Vondrousova, the 2019 French Open runner-up, will take on Switzerland’s Bencic for the title on Saturday.

The Czech left-hander won the pair’s only previous meeting in Miami earlier this year.

Svitolina, hoping to become Ukraine’s first tennis Olympic medallist, will face Kazakh Elena Rybakina in the bronze-medal match. — AFP