Sakkari's unstoppable form propels her to Guadalajara Open Final at Caroline Garcia's expense

Maria Sakkari defeated Caroline Garcia 6-3, 6-2 and advanced to another final at the Guadalajara Open, where she is aiming for her second career title.

The match between the third seed, Sakkari (9th), and the second seed, Garcia (11th), promised to be the highlight of the day in Guadalajara, as they were the only seeded players to reach the semifinals. With four previous encounters, the 29-year-old Frenchwoman led the head-to-head 3-1, with two of those matches taking place in semifinals, including the 2022 WTA Finals where Garcia clinched the title.

Garcia is one of the players who enjoys competing in Mexico the most, with 23 victories. Only three players have more wins in the country: Sara Errani (26), Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (26), and Flavia Pennetta (33).

On the other hand, Sakkari had already achieved success in Guadalajara in 2022, reaching the final but falling short against Jessica Pegula.

The first set saw both players nervy, especially Caroline Garcia, who was particularly erratic throughout the match. Sakkari was the first to secure a break in the fourth game and then took a 4-1 lead. The Frenchwoman improved her serving, but she had no opportunities against Sakkari's solid service, eventually conceding the set 6-3.

World No. 9 had a 75% first-serve percentage, winning 81% with her first serve and 57% with her second. She also won 55% of the points played on Garcia's second serve, applying more pressure on her opponent's serve.

In the second set, Sakkari simply played flawlessly, while Garcia had her worst day of the week. Despite facing some break points against her, Sakkari held her serve throughout the set and capitalized on the opportunities provided by the former WTA Finals champion, securing three consecutive breaks and closing out the set with an emphatic 6-0 scoreline.

With this victory, the Greek player defended the points from last year's final, where she lost to Pegula. Sakkari will climb to World No. 6 in the rankings and, despite an inconsistent year, she positions herself tenth in the WTA Race, entering the race for a spot in the WTA Finals, to be held in Cancun, Mexico.

In the final, she will face Caroline Dolehide (111th), who has had a dream week, the best of her career, reaching her first WTA 1000 final by defeating Sofia Kenin (53rd) in the semifinals. Sakkari has lost in six consecutive finals, and this time she will be aiming for her second career title.