US Open: Maria Sakkari beats Bianca Andreescu in three and a half hours to reach quarter-finals
- Published
Maria Sakkari will play in only her second Grand Slam quarter-final
US Open 2021 |
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Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York Date: 30 August-12 September |
Coverage: Daily radio commentaries on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra/BBC Sport website and app, with selected live text commentaries and match reports on the website and app |
Maria Sakkari came from a set down to beat Bianca Andreescu in a gruelling encounter and reach her first US Open quarter-final.
The Greek 17th seed beat Canada's 2019 champion Andreescu 6-7 (2-7) 7-6 (8-6) 6-3 in a match lasting almost three and a half hours, finishing at 02:15 New York time.
It was the latest ever finish in US Open women's singles history.
Sakkari will play Wimbledon finalist Karolina Pliskova in the last eight.
"I knew that I lost the first set because I was doing some things wrong. I was not very brave. So I had to change that," said Sakkari.
"I was prepared for 7-6 in the third. But you know, if it comes easier then I'll take it.
"I knew it was going to be a very tough match. [Andreescu] loves this court, her best memories."
Earlier, Olympic champion Belinda Bencic came through a punishing match against 2020 French Open champion Iga Swiatek to reach the quarter-finals in humid conditions.
The Swiss, 24, won a mammoth first-set tie-break in humid conditions to set up a 7-6 (14-12) 6-3 win over the seventh-seeded Pole.
The first set lasted for one hour 24 minutes - which is longer than the entire Adelaide Open final that Swiatek and Bencic contested earlier this year.
She will play Britain's Emma Raducanu next after the 18-year-old beat American Shelby Rogers.
Bencic, who reached the last four at Flushing Meadows in 2019, has - like Raducanu - yet to drop a set in this year's tournament.
She broke in the first game of the match and served for the set, but Swiatek fought back, garnering a set point of her own before being taken to a tie-break.
The 11th seed then had to fend off another three set points before finally clinching the opener on her fifth attempt.
She acquitted herself better in the second, winning four of the final six games to secure a place in the last eight.
Elsewhere, the Czech Republic's Pliskova beat Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-5 6-4.
The fourth seed dropped her level in the second set but saved six out of seven break points before clinching the win on her first match point.
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