French top seed Marion Bartoli had to struggle into the final of the Bali Tournament of Champions as Japan's veteran Kimiko Date Krumm put up a late battle before losing 6-1, 6-3 Saturday.
Aravane Rezai could make Sunday's title match an all-French affair if she overcomes Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez of Spain later.
Bartoli, the only seed remaining from the 12 women who began the week in this tropical resort setting, looked at first to be wrapping up a rout in less than an hour against her 39-year-old opponent with ease.
But, to complicate matters, Date Krumm suddenly showed some of the form which had made her a star more than a decade earlier.
The Japanese veteran, who retired a dozen years ago and then revived her career last season, denied Bartoli a match-winner in the sixth game of the second set, with the Frenchwoman leading a set and 5-1.
Date Krumm proceeded to find new life with a break for 2-5 and a hold in the next game.
Bartoli, 2006 finalist when Bali was a regular WTA event, saved two break points and came through on a third match point a game later to close out victory in one hour, 25 minutes.
The 25-year-old French winner fired seven aces and broke six times in the showdown of generations at the 600,000-dollar tournament.
The event comprised the 10 highest-ranking players who have won a WTA International title this year but who did not compete in the season-ending WTA Championships in Qatar, which finished last weekend. Two wildcards were also included.
A finalist at Wimbledon in 2007, Bartoli is seeking her third title of the season after Stanford and Monterrey.
