WTA roundup: Giorgi stops McNally in semis at Citi Open

Camila Giorgi of Italy stopped the run of American teenager Catherine McNally with a straight-sets victory Saturday to reach the final of the Citi Open in Washington.

Aug 3, 2019; Washington, D.C., USA; Camila Giorgi of Italy serves against Catherine Mcnally of the United States (not pictured) in a women’s singles semifinal of the 2019 Citi Open at William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Giorgi, who won 7-6 (5), 6-2, will try to take down another American in the final — Jessica Pegula, who won her semifinal match 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 over Russian Anna Kalinskaya.

Giorgi broke serve twice in the second set to defeat McNally, a 17-year-old tournament wild card who upset No. 4 seed Su-Wei Hsieh of Taiwan on Friday. Giorgi, bothered by wrist and ankle injuries much of the year, hadn’t won a match since the Australian Open in January before this week.

Pegula served nine aces and took control in the third set by converting on her second break point of the second game to go up 2-0. She saved three break points to hold at 4-1 before closing out the match in 1 hour and 41 minutes.

McNally didn’t come away empty as she and 15-year-old Wimbledon sensation Coco Gauff teamed for the doubles title Saturday, winning 6-2, 6-2 over No. 4 seeds Maria Sanchez of the United States and Fanny Stollar of Hungary.

Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic

China’s Saisai Zheng defeated seventh-seeded Maria Sakkari of Greece 7-6 (5), 6-2, her third victory over a seeded player this week, to reach the final in San Jose, Calif.

Zheng 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.

Zheng, 25, will play for her first WTA title on Sunday against second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, who dispatched fifth-seeded Donna Vekic of Croatia 6-4, 6-3 in 79 minutes late Saturday night.

Sabalenka has overcome a total of 23 double faults in three victories this tournament, including eight against Vekic.

Zheng won her only previous meeting with Sabalenka, on hardcourt in China in 2017.

—Field Level Media

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source: reuters.com