Maria Sakkari completed a near-perfect run through the Guadalajara (Mexico) Open Akron on Saturday, defeating Caroline Dolehide 7-5, 6-3 in the championship match.
The result allowed Sakkari, a Greek player who was seeded second, to complete the tournament without dropping a set. No other player managed that feat this year at a WTA 1000 event, the next tier of tournaments below the Grand Slams.
Sakkari’s only previous championship came at Rabat, Morocco, in 2019. Before Saturday, she was 0-2 in WTA 1000 finals, having lost at both Indian Wells, Calif., and Guadalajara last year, and 1-7 in all finals.
Sakkari led 3-1 in the first set against Dolehide before losing serve for 4-4. Sakkari broke again for a 6-5 edge, then served out the set.
A break put Sakkari up 3-2 in the second set, and she clinched the championship with another break.
Dolehide, a 25-year-old Illinois native who is ranked 111th in the world, had never reached a WTA Tour semifinal before this week.
Guangzhou Open
China’s Xiyu Wang cruised past top-seeded Magda Linette of Poland to win the championship in Guangzhou, China.
Playing in her home country, the unseeded Wang coasted 6-0, 6-2 in 79 minutes to earn her first career WTA title.
“It was very exciting and it’s a very emotional moment because to play in this tournament, every player is really tough,” Wang said. “It’s so difficult to be here on the last day. I’m very happy to be here and I think I cannot say it because it’s very emotional.”
A former US Open girls champion (2018), Wang dominated on first serve points won, 76 percent (22 of 29) vs. 39 percent (14 of 36) for Linette, as well as first return points won: 61 percent (22 of 36) vs. 24 percent (7 of 29).
–Field Level Media
