Ons Jabeur survives injury scare to set up Ningbo Open final against teenager Diana Shnaider

Ons Jabeur survived an injury scare to see off Nadia Podoroska and set up an intriguing match with teenager Diana Shnaider in the final of the Ningbo Open on Saturday.

The top seed required a medical time-out in the second set but recovered sufficiently to overcome her Argentine opponent 6-3 1-6 6-2 in one hour and 51 minutes.

The Tunisian can now look forward to a match with 19-year-old Schnaider, who overcame fellow teenager Linda Fruhvirtova to reach her first WTA final.

Podoroka, ranked 87th in the world, earned an early break to take a 2-0 lead but Jabeur held her nerve, taking seven of the next eight games.

The momentum swung back in Podoroka’s favour when Jabeur was hurt after landing awkwardly, and the signs looked ominous as her opponent roared back with six straight games to take the second set comfortably.

The two-time Wimbledon runner-up received attention with a medical time-out at the set conclusion and appearing reinvigorated, the world No. 7 brushed Podoroka aside in the third set to claim her place in the final.

Jabeur overcame Diane Parry in the first round, before easing past Tamara Korpatsch. She needed to dig deep to beat Russian wildcard Vera Zvonareva in three sets in the quarter-final.

Shnaider’s impressive form was rewarded with a 6-4 6-1 victory over Fruhvirtova.

The Russian, ranked No. 85, will come into Saturday’s final with confidence after beating the 18-year-old in one hour and 40 minutes.

Shnaider has lit up the tournament with a number of standout displays, including the victory over world No. 14 Petra Kvitova in the last-eight.