Defending champion Lesia Tsurenko has advanced to the Mexico Open final after beating third-seeded Daria Gavrilova of Australia 6-2 6-4.

The seventh-seeded Ukrainian will face the winner of the second semi-final between Stefanie Voegele of Switzerland and Rebecca Peterson of Sweden in the hard-court event.

Tsurenko led 5-0 in the second set before finally finishing off Gavrilova on the seventh match point.

“It was just getting more and more tough in the second set because her defence was just amazing,” Tsurenko said.

She won last year at Princess Mundo Imperial for her third WTA Tour title.

In men’s play on Friday, fifth-seeded Kevin Anderson of South Africa outlasted American Jared Donaldson 6-3 4-6 6-3 in the first semi-final.

Second-seeded Alexander Zverev of Germany faces sixth-seeded Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina in the late match.

Anderson won the New York Open two weeks ago for his fourth career title.