Athens Open Day Four Round-Up | Maria Sakkari powers past Parks as Krejcikova stuns Zheng to reach semifinals
WTAFriday, 17 July 2026 at 23:07
Barbora Krejcikova produced the statement win of the Athens Open so far, rallying from an early deficit to eliminate Zheng Qinwen in straight sets and set up a blockbuster semifinal against home favourite Maria Sakkari. The Czech continues to build momentum after returning from injury, while Zheng's hopes of lifting the title—and with it returning to the Top 100—came to an end.
Elsewhere, Sakkari delighted the home crowd with another convincing display against Alycia Parks, Clara Tauson continued her consistent week by overcoming Sara Bejlek, and teenage sensation Alina Korneeva edged fellow rising star Tereza Valentova to complete the final four.
Krejcikova storms back to stun Zheng
Barbora Krejcikova 6-4, 6-4 Zheng Qinwen
Barbora Krejcikova delivered arguably her best performance since returning to the Tour, fighting back from an early 0-3 deficit to defeat Zheng Qinwen 6-4, 6-4 and reach the Athens Open semifinals.
The Chinese star looked set to seize complete control after racing through the opening three games with aggressive returning and solid serving. But Krejcikova quickly settled into the match, raising her level dramatically from the baseline while beginning to expose Zheng's inconsistency in the longer rallies. The Czech reeled off five consecutive games, completely flipping the momentum before closing out the opening set.
The second set was far tighter. Zheng again earned an early break, only for Krejcikova to respond immediately as the pair traded momentum through the middle stages of the set. The former Roland Garros and Wimbledon champion once again proved more composed in the decisive moments, earning the crucial late break before confidently serving out the victory.
The win is another significant step forward for Krejcikova after months interrupted by injury. She now advances to face Maria Sakkari in what promises to be the marquee semifinal of the tournament between two former Top 5 players looking to continue their resurgence.
Sakkari delights home crowd again
Maria Sakkari 6-4, 6-3 Alycia Parks
Maria Sakkari continued her impressive run in Athens, defeating Alycia Parks in straight sets to reach the semifinals without dropping a set all week.
The Greek earned an early break in both sets and never allowed Parks to recover. While the American remained competitive and kept the scoreline close throughout much of the contest, Sakkari consistently produced her best tennis in the key moments to protect her advantage.
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Backed by the home crowd, the former world No. 3 controlled the rallies from the baseline and served confidently under pressure, sealing another composed straight-sets victory.
Sakkari now faces Barbora Krejcikova in a blockbuster semifinal as she continues her pursuit of the inaugural Athens Open title.
Korneeva edges teenage battle
Alina Korneeva 7-5, 6-3 Tereza Valentova
Alina Korneeva continued the best week of her young career, defeating fellow teenager Tereza Valentova 7-5, 6-3 to reach the Athens Open semifinals.
The opening set featured several momentum swings, with both players exchanging breaks throughout. Valentova repeatedly fought her way back into the contest, but Korneeva produced the decisive break at 6-5 to edge a highly competitive first set.
The Russian maintained her composure in another scrappy second set, proving more clinical in the important moments despite more service breaks from both players. Korneeva eventually closed out a 7-5, 6-3 victory to continue her impressive breakthrough run.
Still only 19 years old and guaranteed another career-high ranking, Korneeva will now face Clara Tauson for a place in the final.
Tauson cruises into last four
Clara Tauson 6-2, 6-3 Sara Bejlek
Clara Tauson completed the semifinal lineup with a convincing straight-sets victory over Sara Bejlek.
Although Bejlek made the perfect start by breaking in the opening game, Tauson responded immediately and quickly seized control of the match. The Dane reeled off six of the next seven games to comfortably claim the opening set before carrying that momentum into the second.
Bejlek continued to compete from the baseline, but Tauson remained the steadier player throughout, serving efficiently and taking her break opportunities whenever they appeared.
The Danish star sealed a 6-2, 6-3 victory to book her place in the semifinals, where she will face the in-form Alina Korneeva in a meeting between two of the tournament's most consistent performers.
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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