Semifinals are set at the 2019 Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic and the last four players standing are Maria Sakkari, Zheng Saisai, Aryna Sabalenka and Donna Vekic.
Seventh seed Maria Sakkari overcame a 6-1 4-1 deficit and saved four match points to beat top seed Elina Svitolina and reach her second consecutive semifinal in San Jose. After dropping serve five times in her first eight service games, Sakkari got the match back on serve in a seven-deuce ninth game of the second set, in which the Greek saved three match points before breaking Svitolina and then saved one more in the next game before holding serve for 5-5. After winning the second set in a tiebreak, the world No.30 Sakkari dropped serve early in the third set, but recovered from that deficit and never trailed again to progress with a 1-6 7-6(3) 6-3 victory.
Sakkari’s upcoming opponent is unseeded Zheng Saisai of China, who advanced to the biggest semifinal of her career by winning a marathon against fourth seed Amanda Anisimova, 5-7 7-5 6-4.
Second seed Aryna Sabalenka rallied from a set down to defeat sixth seed Carla Suarez Navarro 3-6 6-2 6-4 and will next play fifth seed Donna Vekic, the only quarterfinalist who advanced in straight sets, beating qualifier Kristie Ahn 7-5 6-0.
MORE PHOTOS FROM THE 2019 MUBADALA SILICON VALLEY CLASSIC:
- Thursday: Vekic, Anisimova, Zheng, Ahn complete quarterfinal field
- Wednesday: Svitolina, Sabalenka progress into quarterfinals, Vika celebrates 30th birthday
- Tuesday: First round wraps up, Mattek-Sands eliminates V. Williams
- Monday: First-round action kicks off
