Zheng Jie of China reached her first WTA final in 2 1/2 years when she beat Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia 6-1 6-3 in the Topshelf Open on Friday.
Zheng won in her last final appearance in Auckland in 2012, for her fourth career title.
She broke Rybarikova six times, and awaited either eighth-seeded Klara Koukalova of the Czech Republic, or qualifier Coco Vandeweghe of the United States.
In men's quarter-finals, suspended overnight because of rain, third-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain ended the title defence of seventh-seeded Nicola Mahut of France 6-3 4-6 6-3.
In the semi-finals later Friday, Bautista Agut will meet eighth-seeded Jurgen Melzer of Austria, who outlasted second-seeded Fernando Verdasco of Spain.
Their match was suspended at one set all and Melzer prevailed 7-6 (3) 6-7 (6) 7-6 (9) after more than three hours for only the third time in nine matches with Verdasco.
It was also Melzer's best result since he returned to the tour in mid-April from a seven-month layoff for a shoulder injury.
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