Sakkari eliminates No. 1 seed in San Jose
Maria Sakkari bounced back from a tough first set to knock off topseeded Elina Svitolina 16, 76 (3), 63 on Friday in the Silicon Valley Classic at San Jose State.
The 24yearold Sakkari, who has one career tournament title on the WTA Tour since turning pro in 2015, advanced to the semifinals to face China’s Saisai Zheng, who topped American Amanda Anisimova 57, 75, 64 in Friday’s late match.
Fifthseeded Donna Vekic ran off 10 game victories in a row and advanced with a 75, 60 decision over Stanford alum Kristie Ahn.
Secondseeded Aryna Sabalenka overcame nine double faults and moved into the semifinals with a 36, 62, 64 triumph over sixthseeded Carla Suarez Navarro.
Vekic and Sabalenka, who is ranked 10th in the world, meet in a 7 p.m. semifinal Saturday. Zheng and Sakkari, the tournament’s seventh seed, square off in the other semifinal at noon. Both matches can be seen on the Tennis Channel.
The winners will meet in the final at noon on Sunday.
The 25yearold Zheng had lost her only previous meeting with Anisimova, who is seeded fourth in San Jose and ranks 23rd in the world at age 17.
The Ukrainian Svitolina is ranked seventh in the world, the highest ranking of anyone in the tournament. Citi Open: Caty McNally, 17, reached the semifinals in her first appearance in the main draw of a WTA tournament, handling No. 4 seed Hsieh Suwei 64, 63 in Washington, D.C. That win left the tournament without a seeded player in the women’s final four.
McNally will play Italy’s Camila Giorgi, who swept past Zarina Diyas 63, 62. Jessica Pegula won an allAmerican women’s quarterfinal with Lauren Davis, 62, 76 (2), and Russia’s Anna Kalinskaya beat Kristina Mladenovic of France 64, 46, 62.
Andy Murray and brother Jamie were knocked out in the men’s doubles quarterfinals, outlasted by the thirdseeded team of Raven Klaasen and Michael Venus 67 (3), 76 (6), 107.
In men’s singles, topseeded Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece swept past No. 10 seed Benoit Paire 75, 60. He will face Nick Kyrgios — with whom he played doubles in the tournament — after the Australian beat Norbert Gombos of Slovakia 63, 63.