Elise Mertens has the chance to claim a historic second Hobart International title when she meets rising Romanian Mihaela Buzarnescu in the final.
Defending champion Mertens recovered from a mid-match slump against British qualifier Heather Watson on Friday to claim a see-sawing semi-final 6-4 1-6 6-2.
"I'm pretty pleased about my game - defence and also offence, it was a good mix," the second seed and world No.36 said.
Belgium's Mertens claimed her maiden WTA silverware in Hobart last year, coming from qualifying and winning eight successive matches.
She now has the chance to become the first player to win a second Hobart title since the tournament began in 1994.
Mertens plays Buzarnescu in Saturday's decider after the world No.57 upset fifth seed Lesia Tsurenko 6-2 6-2.
"There's a lot of memories and emotions," Mertens said of her return to Tasmania following a breakthrough 2017 when she cracked the top 100 for the first time.
"(It's) the first time I'm the high-ranked player, so it's going to be a bit different but for me it's going to be another match."
She'll face gritty opposition from Buzarnescu, who has qualified for her first WTA final at age 29.
"I was dreaming about it of course but, look, I'm not young," she said.
Buzarnescu hasn't dropped a set having knocked out fourth seed Alice Cornet in the opening round.
She rocketed up the world rankings last year - coming from outside the top 500 to finish inside the top 60.
Mertens holds a 2-0 head-to-head record over Buzarnescu, courtesy of two clay court wins in 2015.
"She's a tough player," Buzarnescu said of her final opponent.
"You need be solid against her. She's a patient player and she's smart - and you need to fight a lot."
Meanwhile, a frustrated Watson has turned her attention to next week's Australian Open where she's drawn Kazakhstan's world No.53 Yulia Putintseva in the opening round.
"I've come through some tough battles which has made me feel very ready for if it gets tough in Melbourne," the 25-year-old said.
