Sakkari's phenomenal win over Emiliana Arango, Secures semifinal berth against Garcia at Guadalajara

Maria Sakkari showcased her prowess and defeated Emiliana Arango 6-3, 6-2 to advance to the semifinals at Guadalajara Open, where she will face Caroline Garcia

Emiliana Arango quietly made her way through the tournament, becoming the surprise sensation in the quarterfinals by defeating 11th seed Anastasia Potapova (26th), Sloane Stephens (38th), and Taylor Townsend (101st) along the way. The 22-year-old became the first Colombian tennis player to reach the quarterfinals of a WTA 1000 event.

Her opponent was the second seed, Maria Sakkari (9th), who had advanced smoothly through the earlier rounds with victories over Storm Hunter (6-2, 6-4) and Camila Giorgi (6-2, 6-2).

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In the first set, it was the Colombian who applied pressure first, having three break points in her favor in the third game, but she couldn't capitalize on them. Sakkari secured a break in the following game on her first opportunity and took a 4-2 lead. The Greek player had three chances to close out the set when the score was 5-2, but she eventually yielded and closed it out with her serve at 6-3.

In the second set, Arango felt the pressure of playing her first match against a top-10 player but managed to save three break points in the opening game. Sakkari displayed significant dominance and won the next five games, including two breaks, capitalizing on extended rallies and her opponent's errors to take a 5-1 lead.

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The Colombian staged a comeback, winning three consecutive games, including a break against Sakkari in the seventh game, which brought the score to 5-4 and increased the suspense in the match. The former world No. 3 overcame the tough moment and held strong on her serve to seal the match 6-3, 6-4.

Despite the loss, Arango achieved an impressive result in her first main draw appearance in a WTA 1000 event, as she will climb from world No. 180 to 120th, the highest ranking of her career.

In the semifinals, Sakkari will face the third seed, Caroline Garcia (11th), who defeated Victoria Azarenka in the quarterfinals and secured her return to the top 10.