IMAGE: Sofia Kenin of USA in action. Photograph: Jeff Burke / ReutersSofia Kenin advanced to the Toray Pan Pacific Open semifinals with a 6-3, 6-4 upset of No. 3 seed Daria Kasatkina on Friday in Tokyo.
Kenin converted six of 10 break points and eliminated her Russian opponent in 78 minutes. She will meet ninth-seeded Katie Boulter of Great Britain, a 6-2, 6-1 winner against Canada's Bianca Andreescu in 62 minutes.
The other semifinal of the WTA 500 event pits top-seeded Qinwen Zheng of China against No. 6 Diana Shnaider of Russia. Zheng won the first seven games and then held on for a 6-0, 1-6, 6-3 defeat of No. 8 Leylah Fernandez of Canada.
Shnaider advanced in a walkover after Japanese teen Sayaka Ishii withdrew with an abdominal injury.
Guangzhou Open
Top-seeded Czech Katerina Siniakova moved into the semifinals with a 6-4, 7-5 defeat of Bernarda Pera in China.
Siniakova broke Pera's serve six times, including the deciding game in both sets. She will meet Olga Danilovic of Serbia following her 6-4, 6-4 quarterfinal win against Thailand's Mananchaya Sawangkaew.
Caroline Dolehide will meet Lucia Bronzetti of Italy in the other semifinal. Dolehide outlasted No. 7 seed Jessica Bouzas Maneiro of Spain 6-4, 4-6, 6-0 and Bronzetti saved six of seven break points in a 6-4, 6-1 defeat of China's Xiyu Wang.
