Tennis: Zheng Saisai reaches Silicon Valley Classic final

SAN JOSE — Unseeded Zheng Saisai became the first to qualify for the Mubalala Silicon Valley Classic finals with a 7-6 (5), 6-2 win over Greece’s Maria Sakkari on Saturday.

Saisai had to endure a quarterfinal in the late Friday session that lasted nearly three hours just to reach the semifinals at San Jose State University. She rallied from a set down to upset No.4 seed Amanda Anisimova 5-7, 7-5, 6-4 in Friday’s match.

Saisai and Sakkari exchanged breaks in the first set en route to the tiebreaker, which Zheng closed out on her second set point. Sakkari failed to hold serve in four tries in the second set.

Saisai is going for her first WTA singles title Sunday against the winner of Saturday’s late semifinal between second seed Aryna Sabalenka and fifth seed Donna Vekic.

Sakkari, the seventh seed, was a finalist in San Jose in 2018.