Maria Sakkari emerged victorious over Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-2 in a rain-delayed semifinal on Friday night, despite squandering three match points in the second set. This hard-fought win secured her spot in the BNP Paribas Open final against top-ranked Iga Świątek on Sunday.
Swiatek, who dominated Marta Kostyuk 6-2, 6-1, has been in exceptional form this year, boasting a 19-2 record, the best on the WTA Tour. Although Swiatek has previously defeated Sakkari in three out of their five encounters, the upcoming final promises to be a thrilling showdown.
The semifinal clash between Gauff and Sakkari saw interruptions due to rain, with delays lasting 20 minutes and two hours. Despite Sakkari’s early advantage, Gauff staged a remarkable comeback in the second set, rallying from a 5-2 deficit to force a tiebreaker, which she ultimately won 7-5 after falling behind 6-2.
However, Sakkari demonstrated resilience in the decisive set, breaking Gauff twice to secure a commanding 4-1 lead. Despite a brief resurgence from Gauff, Sakkari maintained her composure to clinch victory with a forehand winner, sealing the match on Gauff’s forehand error.
Reflecting on her performance, Swiatek expressed satisfaction with her clean and confident play, emphasizing her dominance across various aspects of the game despite facing a formidable opponent.
In the men’s doubles final, Nikola Mektic and Wesley Koolhof emerged victorious over Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos, claiming the title and splitting the prize money of $447,300.
