Qualifier Zhang, red-hot Pospisil reach S.F. final

Chinese qualifier Ze Zhang, shown during his first-round upset of No. 2 seed
Taylor Fritz on Tuesday, defeated No. 5 Henri Laaksonen 6-4, 7-6 (7) in the
semifinals of the $100,000 KPSF Open in San Francisco. Photo by Mal Taam

  Chinese qualifier Ze Zhang pulled off another upset Saturday to reach the final of the $100,000 KPSF Open in San Francisco.
   Zhang, who stunned No. 2 seed Taylor Fritz in the first round, defeated No. 5 Henri Laaksonen of Switzerland 6-4, 7-6 (7) indoors at the Bay Club SF Tennis Center.
   Zhang will face red-hot Vasek Pospisil, seeded seventh, for the first time today at 2 p.m. Zhang then will play in the doubles final. Both matches will be streamed live.
   Pospisil dismissed a 19-year-old American sensation in 56 minutes for the second straight day, routing Michael Mmoh 6-1, 6-2. Pospisil avenged a 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 loss to Mmoh in the first round of the $75,000 Maui Challenger two weeks ago in their first meeting.
   After beating top-seeded Frances Tiafoe 6-1, 6-4 on Friday, the 6-foot-4 (1.93-meter) Pospisil won 23 of 26 points (88 percent) on his first serve and saved all four break points against him. The Canadian had seven aces and one double fault, bringing his two-day totals to 21 and one, respectively.
   The 6-foot-2 (1.88-meter) Zhang had similar statistics against Laaksonen, winning 33 of 40 points (83 percent) on his first serve and saving two of three break points against him. He had seven aces and four double faults.
   Both Pospisil, ranked No. 131, and Zhang, ranked No. 195, are 26. Posipsil, who reached No. 25 and won the Wimbledon men's doubles title with Jack Sock in 2014, seeks his fifth Challenger singles title. Zhang is 0-3 in Challenger finals.
   Here are the KPSF Open singles and doubles draws and today's schedule.