Sakkari outlasts Andreescu in match-of-the-year candidate to reach US Open quarterfinals
WTATuesday, 07 September 2021 at 08:22
In what will surely go down as one of the best matches of the season, Maria Sakkari rallied from a set down to knock out 2019 champion Bianca Andreescu at the 2021 US Open.
The World No.18 played the match of her life on Monday night, ousting Andreescu in a thrilling 6-7(2) 7-6(6) 6-3 victory. With the match starting close to midnight local time, both ladies seemed energized as they left it all on the court. Andreescu claimed the first set in a tiebreak after relinquishing a 4-1 lead, with Sakkari matching her power and pace from the baseline.
The second set saw the Greek star grab a 2-0 lead, before her Canadian opponent battled back to even the score. A second tiebreak ensued, as neither woman was willing to give an inch. Sakkari prevailed in nerve-wrecking fashion, after losing a handful of set points due to the relentless attack from the World No.7. However, she relied on her big serve and forehand to win the crucial minibreak at 6-6, before closing out the second set.
Following the second tiebreak, Andreescu took a medical timeout to deal with an undisclosed issue. Upon return, the Canadian was quickly broken by Sakkari, only to break back and level the score at 3-3. Nonetheless, Sakkari held her nerve as she obtained a second break, before eventually closing out the match after three and a half hours.
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.
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- I love WTA matches. Seek them out as much as possible on youtube and other platforms I already subscribe to. With that in mind, I do not wish to pay $$$ to a notoriously slippery subscription conglomerate sports broadcaster (like SkySports) just for the privilege to watch it and the tnt/eurosport/discovery subscription went from $$ to $$$+ annually in a blink of an eye. With ATP I have been begrudgingly paying xyz tennis only channel and try to catch up on slams elsewhere (pubs, youtube with USO later on games are just as enjoyable to watch and a smart move to upload on their official channel) but they don't cover WTA. I tried another Tennis dedicated channel that advertised originally as broadcasting where I live, but turned out, they took the money, but didn't cover the matches (only fluff/filler value documentaries). I don't understand why it is so hard to not lock the live matches to one broadcaster only refusing so many people who are happy to pay for the privilege just not through that one entry point. WTA is so exciting for the last few years and they really should capitalise on it as much as possible. And I know it is somewhat naive talking without knowing the inner works, but not being able to find any WTA other than youtube (and then only highlights mostly) is just so frustrating.JayJay11-09-2026
- Clearly not AI :-)
AceOfBase11-09-2026 - Oh my God!! Does anyone proofread these pages??? Case in point: However, the question mark over the 32-years-old head......???? No! No! No! However, the question mark over the 32-year-old's head...good grief man, hire a proofreader. This article is rife with errors making some sentences very difficult to read. I had to stop. I am a proofreader hence my disgust.Rapunzel10-09-2026
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- No one else would get away with this but these AMERCANS! It’s the US Open!! In America!! But sure, go off American ;)DaveyWavey08-09-2026
- WOW !!! Her comebacks have been intense. She's Baaaaack!
mandoist08-09-2026 - Don't lay this shitshow on "Americans". It is a long-running Ego trip with WTA allowing these two Elitists 'in need of a Camera' illicit Wildcards. If these two clowns want to "perform" -- then play the qualies.mandoist08-09-2026
- Here we go again…. Different rules for Americans! Especially THESE Americans. Yuck!DaveyWavey07-09-2026
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