Sakkari outlasts Andreescu in match-of-the-year candidate to reach US Open quarterfinals

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.