Google News Maria Sakkari reaches QF; hands Bianca Andreescu her 1st loss at US Open in 3 years
by ABBEY JOHNSON | VIEW 2097
Maria Sakkari outlasted Bianca Andreescu in their fourth-round match at the Us Open on Monday that spilt on to the early hours of Tuesday morning. The Greek completed a 6-7(2), 7-6(6), 6-3 comeback after three hours and 30 minutes of play in what was the latest finish at Flushing Meadows.
The Greek conceded the opening set tie-break rather tamely to the Canadian, who was bidding to win her 11th consecutive win at the US Open (going back to her title-run in 2019). Sakkari, however, came back strongly to go up an early break in the second set.
A couple of games later, under the onslaught of Andreescu’s punishing game, Sakkari’s troubles mounted once again and gave the break back to the former. Neither player lost their serve thereafter and in the ensuing tie-break, Sakkari once again dominated Andreescu to bring up three set points.
While errors prevented Sakkari from making good on those, she did eventually pocket the set on her fourth set point after two errors from Andreescu’s racquet.
US Open: Karolina Pliskova flies under the radar
Both players traded breaks to start the third set but Sakkari raced ahead after break Andreescu in a lengthy seventh game.
Trying to consolidate the break, Sakkari had to save a break point herself to win the game. Serving to stay in the match in the ninth game, Andreescu fought off three match points. Two forced errors, however, ended the sixth seed’s dreams of potentially trying to win her second US Open as the 17th-seeded Sakkari completed the upset.
Andreescu was the last US Open champion left in the draw and following her exit, Flushing Meadows will see a new champion emerge in the women’s draw. Meanwhile, Sakkari, who’s now reached her second Major semi-final (after the 2021 French Open), will take on fourth seed Karolina Pliskova.
The Czech defeated 14th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-5, 6-4 in their fourth-round clash. Britain’s Emma Raducanu continued her fairy-tale story at the US Open. The teenaged qualifier came won the shortest fourth-round match of the day over American Shelby Rogers.
Raducanu needed just 66 minutes to post a 6-2, 6-1 victory and reach the last eight of a Slam for the first time in her career. She’ll play Bencic next for a chance to reach the semi-finals. Photo Credit: Garrett Ellwood/USTA