Ekaterina Alexandrova will face Anett Kontaveit in the final of the VTB Kremlin Cup in Moscow tomorrow after receiving a walkover midway through the first set against Maria Sakkari.
Alexandrova went 4-1 up against Sakkari before a medical timeout was called by the Greek.
Seemingly, she was struggling with a medical issue which promptly saw her decide to retire and with her WTA Finals qualification now secure, she likely did not want to take the risk.
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Now Alexandrova is set to take on Kontaveit who beat Sakkari in the final in Ostrava only a few weeks ago, she breezed past Marketa Vondrousova and now with a WTA Finals spot in her sights, she will aim to see off the Russian tomorrow on home soil.
For Sakkari, she is entered into Courmayeur next week but this is unlikely now to be the case with a mix of this retirement likely due to fatigue and also her qualification for Mexico now being secured.
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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