Korneeva beats Lepchenko 6-3 6-1 in Cincinnati qualifying

Alina Korneeva was in control from the start, seeing off Varvara Lepchenko 6-3 6-1 in the qualifying semifinals at the WTA 1000 event in Cincinnati. The Russian's first delivery was the difference: she landed 70 percent of them and won 76.2 percent of those points, while Lepchenko found the court with only 61 percent of her first serves and won just 52.8 percent behind them. Four double faults from the American added to the pressure, against two from Korneeva. Korneeva's edge on serve carried her through to the final qualifying round.