Kyrgios downs Tsitsipas in Washington Open semis; Zheng sails

Washington: The first meeting between Nick Kyrgios and Stefanos Tsitsipas lived up to the hype on Saturday as the Australian saved a match point in a wildly entertaining 6-4 3-6 7-6(7) win to reach the Washington Open final.

In another semi-final, Daniil Medvedev cruised to a 6-2 6-2 win over Peter Gojowczyk.

The mercurial Kyrgios put on a show for the sold-out crowd, fist bumping with fans during the first set, smashing his racket in the second and mixing in tweeners, underhand serves and slick no-look volleys throughout.

Kyrgios appeared in control when he raced out to a 5-1 lead in the third set tiebreaker with a blistering cross-court forehand but Tsitsipas battled back to get to a match point.

The young Greek’s backhand return sailed long, however, and when Kyrgios earned a match point of his own he consulted with a fan prior to his serve for the second night in a row.

The spectator appeared to advise him to aim for the top seed’s backhand and Kyrgios did just that.

Tsitsipas could only block the rocket back, setting up an easy forehand winner that ended the match on a hot and humid night in the U.S. capital.

The match statistics were remarkably even, with Kyrgios winning 91 points to Tsitsipas’ 90 and each player breaking the other’s serve twice.

Kyrgios had nothing but kind words for his doubles partner Tsitsipas, who will reach a career high of world number five on Monday.

Third-seeded Medvedev put on a serving clinic to quickly dispatch lucky loser Gojowczyk in their semi-final meeting. The 23-year-old from Moscow will be look to even scores in the final with Kyrgios, who defeated him in three sets in their only previous meeting at the Italian Open in May.

Elsewhere, China’s Zheng Saisai surprised seventh-seeded Maria Sakkari 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 on Saturday to line up a title clash with second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka at the WTA tournament in San Jose, California.

Unseeded Zheng knocked off her third seeded opponent of the week, after downing eighth-seeded American Danielle Collins and fourth-seeded US teen Amanda Anisimova in a three-set quarter-final marathon on Friday night.

On Sunday, Zheng will be seeking a first WTA singles title when she takes on Sabalenka, the world number 10 who defeated fifth-seeded Croatian Donna Vekic 6-4, 6-3.

Sabalenka, of Belarus, reached her first final since she won the Shenzhen Open in January.

She and Vekic traded six service breaks in the first seven games before Sabalenka pocketed the set.

Agencies