Tomljanovic saw six match points come and go in the third set—one at 5-3, two at 6-5 and three when leading the decisive tie-break 6-3—before erasing one of her own at 6-7. The 31-year-old ultimately closed out the qualifier on her eighth opportunity.
Rising American McCartney Kessler meets Greet Minnen for the other championship berth at the 250-level event. Kessler, the No. 5 seed, rallied past Sorana Cirstea, 5-7, 6-4, 6-1, while Minnen finished off Caroline Dolehide, 6-3, 7-5.
At the WTA 500 in Merida, Navarro leads a final-four lineup alongside three unseeded hopefuls.
