Sakkari outplays Pliskova to reach maiden US Open semifinal

Maria Sakkari looked incredibly impressive on Wednesday night, breezing past Wimbledon runner-up Karolina Pliskova to advance to the semifinals of the 2021 US Open.

Sakkari pulled off the easy 6-4 6-4 win behind her big serve and well-placed returns, offering little to her Czech opponent. The Greek star won an astounding 92% of points on her first serve, hitting them with pace and precision to confound the World No.4. This ensured that she never faced a break point, as she displayed the poise and control that some say has been missing from her game.

Pliskova was unable to outhit Sakkari from the baseline, as the 17th-seed dictated play and took control using her big forehand and effective backhand slice. Sakkari hit 22 winners to just 12 unforced errors, wrapping up proceedings with a backhand winner after just 80 minutes.

The World No.18 will face rising star and fan favorite Emma Raducanu in what would be a first Grand Slam semifinal for both, as the British teenager continued her dream run with a quarterfinal upset over Olympic gold medalist Belinda Bencic.