(Guadalajara) Maria Sakkari used her strong first serve to extend her dominance over former Roland Garros champion Iga Swiatek in a 6-2, 6-4 win in their opening game of the WTA Finals, Thursday.
Sakkari, 26, who is having an exceptional year, also ousted Swiatek in two rounds in the quarter-finals of Roland Garros and the semi-finals of Ostrava this year. Sakkari started the year at 21e rank and although she hasn’t won any titles this season, she reached the final in Ostrava and the semi-finals of the US Open, Roland Garros tournament and Miami tournament to become the first Greek to qualify for the WTA Finals.
Swiatek, who won titles in Adelaide and Rome in 2021, is also making his season-ending tournament debut.
Sakkari won 26 of 27 points in his first serve and broke his opponent’s serve in the third and seventh games of the first set.
She then managed another break of serve to take a 4-3 lead in the second set.
The tournament, which was canceled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, includes a group stage before the semi-finals.
The WTA Finals are being played in Guadalajara for this year alone. The event is due to return to Shenzhen, China in 2022.