China’s Qinwen to battle Haddad Maia in WTA Elite Trophy Final
Zheng Qinwen fought through a tough, 3-hour and 19-minute battle to hold off Zhu Lin on Saturday in the semifinals of the WTA Elite Trophy in Zhuhai, China.
Seventh-seeded Zheng beat her Chinese counterpart Lin 7-5, 4-6, 6-1. The match featured an 80minute first set highlighted by an 18-minute service hold by Qinwen for 4-3 in which she saved six break points.
Qinwen will next face No. 8 seed Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil, who eased past No. 6 seed Daria Kasatkina of Russia 6-4, 6-1. Haddad Maia needed just an hour and 33 minutes to beat Kasatkina for the second time this year, winning 80 percent of her first-service points in the match.
The Zhuhai final will be the first meeting between Qinwen — who has now won eight straight matches — and Haddad Maia, who has yet to drop a set in the tournament.
Elsewhere: No. 1 seed
Holger Rune of Denmark got past Argentina’s Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (8-6) late Friday to reach the semifinals of the Swiss Indoors Basel. Rune’s semifinal opponent will be Canadian sixth seed Felix AugerAliassime, who outlasted Russian qualifier Alexander Shevchenko 7-6 (7-2), 3-6, 7-6 (7-1). No. 4 seed
Hubert Hurkacz of Poland will battle Ugo Humbert of France in the other semifinal. Hurkacz rallied past Dutch opponent Tallon Griekspoor 6-7 (6-8), 6-4, 6-4, while Humbert beat Swiss wild card Dominic Stricker 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 . ... At the Erste Bank Open, the top four seeds all reached the semifinal round in Vienna, with No. 1 seed Daniil Medvedev of Russia needing three sets to beat countryman and eighth seed Karen Khachanov 6-3, 3-6, 6-3
Ain the quarters. Medvedev will face Greek fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, who outlasted Croatia’s Borna Gojo 7-6 (7-4), 7-5. No. 2 seed Jannik Sinner of Italy won 32 of 38 firstservice points (84.2 percent) to beat seventhseeded American Frances Tiafoe 6-3, 6-4. And Russian No. 3 seed Andrey Rublev saved all six break points he faced to beat German No. 5 seed Alexander Zverev 6-1, 6-7 (5-7), 6-3.
ETC.
Golf: Rose Zhang birdied the 18th hole to card a 7-under-par 65 Saturday and seize a onestroke lead after three rounds at the Maybank Championship at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The 20-year-old rookie sensation resides at 18-under
198 on the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club course, just ahead of Thailand’s Atthaya Thitikul and Jasmine Suwannapura. Thitikul shot a tournament
A18-hole record 62 Saturday, while Suwannapura — the leader after both the first and second round — carded a 67 . ... Cameron Smith shot a bogeyfree 63 Friday to finish 8-under-par and take a one-shot lead after the first round of the LIV Golf event at Centurion Club in London.
NHL: Buffalo Sabres defenseman Connor Clifton was suspended two games following his illegal check to the head of New Jersey Devils captain Nico Hischier.Luka Doncic NBA: capped a 49-point performance by hitting a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 26.1 seconds left as the host Dallas Mavericks beat the Brooklyn Nets 125-120. ... Devin Vassell scored 25 points and rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama had key baskets at the end of regulation and in overtime as the host San Antonio Spurs came from behind to beat the Houston Rockets 126-122.
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