Bernarda Pera reaping rewards of more relaxed approach with shot at second successive WTA title

BUDAPEST LOOK BACK: Pera triumphs over Krunic

Right now, Bernarda Pera is in the zone. Coming into this week, the 27-year-old American had just won her first WTA singles title in Budapest as a qualifier, reeling off seven straight matches, and now she's also into the final of the Hamburg European Open.

"It feels amazing,” Pera told press at Hamburg upon getting her ninth consecutive main-draw win. "I am playing good tennis and I am happy that I got rewarded for it."

The run is a surprise because Pera was on an 0-4 stretch prior to catching fire, but she knew her game was there.

''I have been working hard for a long time and I felt good in practice, but I wasn't able to execute that in matches," she said. "Then something changed. I relaxed a little bit. By winning one match by another, the confidence grows."

Her clay-court success could also set her up for a good hard-court season, and potentially a deep run at her home Grand Slam—the event she named as the one she would most like to win.

“US Open,” Pera said. “Home soil. They put on a really good show. It’s really loud, a lot of people.”

In Saturday's Hamburg final, Pera will take on No. 1 seed Anett Kontaveit, who recently took their first-round encounter at Wimbledon. Should Pera exact revenge, she's projected to improve upon her career-high ranking of No. 59.