PETE ZIEBRON in CINCINNATI
Aryna Sabalenka and Maria Sakkari enter Court 10 in Cincinnati. Pete Ziebron Images
Maria Sakkari of Greece stayed the course and eventually defeated #9 seed and last year’s semifinalist Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus 6-7(4) 6-4 6-4 to advance to the quarterfinals at the Western & Southern Open.
Court 10 has been the venue of several incredible WTA matches thus far in Cincinnati and this particular contest that opened up play at 11 AM on Thursday did not disappoint. In a rare instance, there were no breaks of serve in the opening set, despite the fact that Sakkari had five opportunities to break in Sabalenka’s last two service games of the set. The tiebreaker reached 4-all and Sabalenka won the next three points to claim the first set.
Despite three consecutive double faults in the opening service game of the second set, Sabalenka fended off four break points against to hold. Following a comfortable Sakkari hold at 15, Sabalenka double faulted twice to open the third game and this time saved two more break points as the Greek was now 0/11 in break point opportunities. Even though Sakkari would jump to a 40-0 lead in the next game, she would lose the next five points and Sabalenka would be up a set and a break and three games away from a berth in the quarterfinals.
Aryna Sabalenka was three games away from the quarterfinals. Pete Ziebron Images
Each played held and then the match flipped in the seventh game of the set. After failing to break on five more occasions in the game and standing at 0/16 in break point conversion chances, Sakkari FINALLY broke serve on the twentieth point of the game to get the set back on serve.
After denying Sabalenka a break point opportunity in the next service game, Sakkari held to square the set at 4-all and then broke Sabalenka again in her second break point opportunity in the ninth game of the set and would serve out the second set to level the match.
In the fifth game of the final set, Sakkari would break to take a 3-2 lead. Neither player would break again and Maria Sakkari would hold on for a victory that sent her into the quarterfinals. The Greek finished with a 3/23 break point mark but it was good enough on this day.
Maria Sakkari frustrated at not being able to break serve. Pete Ziebron Images
Next up for Sakkari is the #1 seed Ash Barty of Australia. The match is slated for 11 AM on Center Court on Friday.
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