Johanna Konta's run in Russia was halted by Daria Kasatkina in the semi-finals of the Kremlin Cup.
The British number one was bidding to end a disappointing 2018 on a high with a first title of the year in her final event of the season in Moscow.
But 21-year-old Russian Kasatkina, the sixth seed, proved too strong in a 6-4 6-3 victory.
Konta was broken in her second service game and squandered two break points in the next as Kasatkina began to exert control.
Yet when Konta faced three set points on her own serve Kasatkina tightened up, allowing the former world number four to hold with a spectacular lob on the run.
In the next game Konta held three break points only to be pinned back to deuce, before Kasatkina gifted her the game with a double fault.
However, serving at 4-5 Konta was promptly broken again as world number 14 Kasatkina snatched the opening set.
The pair exchanged breaks at the start of the second set but Kasatkina grabbed the decisive break in the fourth game and put her foot down, winning nine successive points on her way to a 4-1 lead.
The home favourite closed out the match in one hour and 31 minutes to set up a meeting with Tunisian qualifier Ons Jabeur in the final.
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