Lindsay Davenport beat Russian Anna Chakvetadze 6-3, 6-3 on Friday to reach the final of the New Haven Open, making sure she will return to the top of the world rankings when they are released on Monday.
Davenport, who now faces second seed Amelie Mauresmo in the final, will replace Maria Sharapova, who enjoyed just a week at the top after becoming the first Russian woman to head the rankings last Monday.
Frenchwoman Mauresmo beat Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain 4-6, 7-6, 6-2 to reach her fourth final of the year.
After squandering an early break with some erratic play, Davenport broke again to lead 3-2 and eased through the first set against Chakvetadze, the world number 28.
The 18-year-old Russian stuck with Davenport in the second set and even held a break point for a 4-3 lead, but the American held serve and then broke in the next game to clinch victory.
Davenport said she was more worried about competing well at next week's US Open than regaining the top ranking
"It is what it is," she said.
"I suppose the end of year ranking is more important, and I guess if I win the US Open then I'll be number one."
Davenport has lost all four of her previous finals in New Haven and said she expected a tough match against Mauresmo.
"I always play great players in the final here," she said.
"Amelie and I played such a close match at Wimbledon, and I'm looking forward to playing her again."
Mauresmo looked on her way out of the US Open warm-up event when she trailed by a set and a break at 4-3 in the second to Medina Garrigues, who had ousted Russian fourth seed Elena Dementieva in the previous round.
But Mauresmo broke back in the eighth game and, after taking the tiebreak 7-5, broke twice in the decider to clinch her place in the final.
Mauresmo said she was happy to play Davenport again, having lost to her in a tight three-set semi-final at Wimbledon.
"Before a grand slam, you always want to compare yourself with the other best players," she said.
Home favourite James Blake continued his good run in the men's event with a 7-6, 4-6, 6-3 win over Argentine Juan Ignacio Chela.
EARLY BREAK
Having beaten sixth seed Tommy Haas in the previous round, wildcard Blake let slip an early break in the first set but hit back to take the tiebreak 7-4.
A vociferous crowd roared their support for Blake, who was raised in nearby Fairfield, before Chela levelled the match.
But Blake broke in the fourth game of the decider to line up a semi-final clash with unseeded Romanian Victor Hanescu, who upset fourth seed Tommy Robredo of Spain 6-7, 6-4, 6-4.
"I have said it before, that if every week was like this, I would never retire," Blake said.
"The only thing I don't like about this job is the travelling but here I don't have to. I sleep in my own bed, I have dinner with my mum or my friends and I feel at home on the court too."
Third seed David Ferrer of Spain cruised into the last four with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Russian Igor Andreev.
Ferrer now plays fifth seed Feliciano Lopez, who won the battle of the Spaniards against Fernando Verdasco 6-4, 1-6, 6-2.
