Maria Sakkari is known for her resilience on court. And today was one of the days in which all the hard work paid off: she beat World No.2 Naomi Osaka 6-0, 6-4 and clinched a spot in the Women’s Singles semifinals at the Miami Open presented by Itaú.
There were a lot of reasons for both players to deliver a great match on Grandstand this Wednesday. While the World No. 2 reached a 23-win streak after beating Elise Mertens, the Greek saved six match points in her fourth-round win against Jessica Pegula.
This is Sakkari’s first Miami Open semifinal in four main draw appearances. This is the second time this season she defeated a top-10 player (had beaten Sofia Kenin in the Abu Dhabi quarterfinals), and the fifth in her career prevailing over a top-5 player.
“It’s just that it clicked. One day it clicked, and all the hours, you know, so actually showed the actual result on court.”
The 23-year-old now waits for the winner of the clash between Canada’s Bianca Andreescu and Spaniard Sara Sorribes Tormo. To advance into the Miami Open final, Sakkari knows that she needs to keep being aggressive and resilient on court.
SAKK ATTACK 💥
🇬🇷 @mariasakkari snaps Osaka’s 23-match win streak and reaches the #MiamiOpen semifinals! pic.twitter.com/uaGnVazIiF
— wta (@WTA) March 31, 2021
“Of course, it took a lot of time and a lot of hours to feel that way, but, you know, having (coach) Tom always reminding, you know, myself that I have to be aggressive and stay aggressive and not becoming like a passive player helps me a lot,” she explained.
source miamiopen.com
