Wozniacki broke Jankovic’s serve five times Saturday in a 6-4, 6-4 semifinal victory at the Family Circle Cup. Also demoralizing, Jankovic acknowledged, were the extended rallies on the green clay court.

“She always makes you play an extra ball,” Jankovic said.

Wozniacki reached the tournament final for the second time in three appearances. She lost to Sabine Lisicki in 2009 and will take on unseeded Elena Vesnina in Sunday’s title match.

The 20-year-old Dane had escaped her past two matches, winning two tiebreakers against Barbora Zahlavova Strycova on Thursday and overcoming a 4-2 deficit in the third set to beat Yanina Wickmayer in the quarterfinals.

Wozniacki knew she couldn’t start that slowly again and make it through.

“I had to be aggressive and hit it deep because (Jankovic) is such a good fighter,” she said.

That was apparent as the two traded line-drive groundstrokes throughout the nearly two-hour match on the windy stadium court at the Family Circle Tennis Center.

The first three games all went to deuce. Jankovic led 4-3 in the first set before Wozniacki rallied to take the final three games, breaking her opponent twice in that stretch.

The back-and-forth resumed in the second set until the ultra-steady Wozniacki pounced on her opponent’s errors. Tied at 4-all and up 30-love, Jankovic gave away the next four points, three on balls hit long and one hit into the net.

Jankovic sailed the ball long on match point.

“Some other players, you think it will be a winner,” Jankovic said. “With her, it somehow comes back.”

Wozniacki and Jankovic share similar styles and frustrations at times. Wozniacki said balls she’s accustomed to watching go for winners were hit back.

“So I think we were pretty even,” Wozniacki said.

Vesnina, 56th in the world, defeated China’s Peng Shuai 7-6 (4), 6-3 to advance. Vesnina had considered skipping Charleston a month ago because of continuing problems with her wrist.

A technique change suggested by her father and coach, Sergey Vesnin, helped relieved the pain and Vesnina entered. It was a good decision.

Vesnina hadn’t been past the quarterfinals in five previous appearances and beat four seeded players, including No. 5 in world Samantha Stosur, to reach her first singles final of the season.

“I’m telling you, I’m just enjoying my time on the court,” she said.
 

In Marbella, Spain, top-seeded Victoria Azarenka of Belarus captured her second straight title Sunday, beating Irina-Camelia Begu of Romania 6-3, 6-2 to win the Andalucia Tennis Experience.

Azarenka broke Begu’s serve four times in the first set and three times in the second, continuing the dominating play that earned her a victory in Key Biscayne last weekend.

Azarenka did not drop more than three games in any set during the Andalucia tournament and has now won a personal best 11 straight matches.
 

In Casablanca, Morocco, Pablo Andujar of Spain won his first career title after beating Potito Starace of Italy 6-1, 6-2 in the Grand Prix Hassan II final Sunday.

Andujar broke the fifth-seeded Starace’s serve twice in each set and saved the only two break points he faced.

The 25-year-old Andujar lost his only previous final, last year at Bucharest, also on outdoor clay.

The 29-year-old Starace, who had a grueling semifinal Saturday against No. 8 Victor Hanescu of Romania that went to a tiebreaker in the third set, has now lost all four career finals.
 

In Houston, wild card Ryan Sweeting upset former champion Ivo Karlovic 7-6, 6-3 to advance to the final of the US Clay Court Championship on Saturday.

American Sweeting, who will face Japan’s Kei Nishikori for the title, survived three break points in the fourth game and rallied from a 3-2 deficit in the tie breaker with five consecutive points to take the first set.

Sweeting broke Croatian Karlovic’s serve to take a 4-2 lead over the 2007 champion in the second set and closed out the match on serve.

In the other semifinal, Nishikori defeated Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay 6-3 7-5 to reach his second ATP Tour final. He won the Delray Open in 2008.

Nishikori dropped serve in the fourth and sixth game of the second set but recovered by breaking Cuevas in the fifth and 11th games. Nishikori’s serve was nearly broken again in the 12th game but he fought off two break points to close the match with a forehand volley.