Super Sakkari completes incredible comeback to reach her first ever WTA Final
Maria Sakkari has dramatically come from a set and a double break down to defeat American Danielle Collins 3/6, 7/5, 6/2 in the Semi Finals of the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic in California to advance to her first ever WTA tour Final.
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Sakkari, who was yet to drop a set in the tournament, quickly found herself on the backfoot losing the opening set 3/6. It seemed as if Collins run away with the match as the Greek trailed 1/4 in the second set. Sakkari then fought back and completely turned the match on it’s head by going on to win five of the next six service games and took the match to a third and deciding set.
Collins got the early advantaged in the third set by gaining the early break, but to Sakkari’s credit she remained calm and immediately broke the American back. The Greek won the last six games of the match to book a place in her maiden WTA Final against fifth seed Mihaela Buzărnescu of Romania.
Maria Sakkari is set to return to the Top 35 by making the Final and can move to a career-high world number 26 if she manages to take the title home.
Sakkari now becomes the first Greek women to reach a WTA level Final since Eleni Daniilidou won the title in Hobart, Australia in 2008.
Fellow Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas bowed out to top seed and defending champion Alexander Zverev 6/2, 6/4. Tsitsipas served poorly in the first set which cost him as Zverev was able to capitalise fully. The second set was a much closer contest with Tsitsipas battling hard to stay in the match but Zverev was ultimately too good and advanced to the Final in Washington.
