Semi-final’s day of the WTA500 HSBC Championships started with Australian Open Champion Madison Keys (world number 8 and the number 2 seed) meeting qualifier Tatijana Maria (world number 86). The pair had met 3 times before with Keys having won each previous battle.

In the first set Maria got an early couple of breaks and was soon 4-2 ahead. The set progressed with Maria serving to take the first set 6/3 in 33 minutes.

Second set was tightly fought with players holding their serves all the way through. At 5 games apiece the spectators were beginning to think a third set may be on the cards with Keys smashing some lobs into perfectly placed corners of the court. However, Maria held her serve to go 6-5 up and the pressure was on Keys to hold serve to take the match to a third deciding set. Keys was unable to hold and the 37 year old German qualifier caused the upset of the Championship by beating the reigning Australian Open champion 6-3, 7-6 to reach her first WTA Tour final on grass in 7 years! Will her run continue in tomorrow’s final?

In our second semi-final the number 1 seed Qinwen Zheng took on the number 8 seed Amanda Anisimova. Zheng had defeated Anisimova in both of their previous meetings on hard court, however this is their first meeting on grass. For Anisimova, this is her first grass-court semi-final and the question at the star of the match was, would she make her first career grass court final?

In the first set Anisimova stormed ahead having broken Zhengs serve several times to be leading 5-2. Serving for the set, the nerves got to Anisimova with some mistakes creeping in on her serve, but ultimately she managed to get the advantage and served to take the first set 6-2.

The second set reached 2 games apiece before it seemed that neither play could hold serve. Anisimova breaking Zheng, Zheng breaking Anismova, Anisimova breaking Zheng, Zheng breaking Anismova until 4-4. At that point Zheng held her serve to be 5-4 up. This left Anisimova to serve to remain in the set; however, at 0-30 Anisimova double faulted which gave Zheng three chances to win the set, she took it 6-4.

Zheng was first to serve in the third set but couldn't find her rhythm and at 0-40 she double faulted to lose her service game. Anisimova served to take an early 2-0 lead. Zheng's game improved to bring the set back to a level 2-2. The fifth game in the third set proved to be one of the toughest fought of the match with both players working hard to close the game. It was Zheng who won to go 3-2 up, and after nearly 1 hour 50 minutes, she was in the lead for the first time in the match. Being ahead was short lived for Zheng as Anisimova broke back and held her service game to be 5-3 ahead, forcing Zheng to serve to stay in the match. Under the pressure Zheng remained calm and served solidly to keep herself in the match. The pressure was back on Anisimova to serve to gain her place in Sunday’s final. Anisimova held her nerve and won 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 to reach her first career grass-court final.
 
WTA500 HSBC Championships Single Final – Sunday 15 June @ 1.30pm - Tatijana Maria vs Amanda Anisimova