Maria Sakkari is one win away from claiming a trophy in her hometown after beating Russia’s Alina Korneeva 6-1, 7-5 in the semifinals of the Athens Open on Saturday.
The fourth-seeded Sakkari dominated the first set before Korneeva put up more of a fight in the second, but the Greek crowd favorite wrapped up the victory in 1 hour and 23 minutes. The run carries special meaning — it comes exactly 40 years after Sakkari’s mother, Angeliki Kanellopoulou, made her own run to the final of a WTA event in Athens.
Standing between Sakkari and the title is No. 3 seed Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic. Krejcikova punched her ticket to the final by ousting top-seeded Clara Tauson of Denmark 6-1, 4-6, 6-3. After surrendering the second set, Krejcikova regrouped and closed out the match in 2 hours and 45 minutes — nearly double the length of the other semifinal — to reach her first final of the season.
UniCredit Iasi Open
In Iasi, Romania, Spain’s Paula Badosa pushed her winning streak to nine consecutive matches by rallying past Slovenia’s Tamara Zidansek 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (1) in the semifinals.
Badosa dropped the opening set but battled back through the next two, ultimately taking command in the deciding tiebreaker by reeling off six straight points. The former world No. 2 advances to her second consecutive final after capturing last week’s Nordea Open title.
Egypt’s Mayar Sherif secured the other spot in the final with a commanding 6-3, 6-1 victory over third-seeded Oleksandra Oliynykova of Ukraine. Sherif dominated the closing stretch, winning 10 of the last 11 games to reach her first tour-level final in two years.
