Barbora Krejcikova stopped the path of the very young Coco Gauff (17 years old) to glory in a Grand Slam on Wednesday. The 25-year-old Czech and 33rd in the ranking (virtually 23rd), one of the best doubles players in the world, who can regain number one if she wins the title in Paris with her compatriot Katerina Siniakova, now also stands out in singles. She has been on a streak of 10 consecutive wins since the tournament in Strasbourg, where she was champion. It is a case similar to that of Ashleigh Barty, who also started his career more focused on couples and is now the leader of the world rankings.
It cannot be said that Krejcikova, who is not seeded in the tournament, will go so far, at the moment she is for the first time in his career in the semifinals of a Grand Slam after beating Gauff 7-6 (6) and 6-3 in 1:50, and will face on Thursday for a place in the final the Greek Mari Sakkari, who beat the reigning champion of the tournament, the Polish Iga Swiatek (double 6-4 in 95 minutes).
Gauff also came with a very positive momentum after lifting the title in Parma and winning nine games in a row, but she found an opponent as stable as her, but with a somewhat more varied and intuitive tennis. The American did not propose much beyond putting many balls on the other side of the track. The difference was in the unforced errors: Coco committed 41 and Barbora 28. In the first set, Krejcikova saved three set points, one at 5-3 and another two in the tiebreaker. In the second magician he dominated widely at the start (5-0) and then got complicated until he was able to fasten the victory with his serve.
Sakkari makes history for Greece
Maria Sakkari (25 years and 18th in the world) became a giant against Iga Swiatek, who had physical problems in her right leg, for which she was treated at the beginning of the second set. The Helena, who moved to Barcelona at 18 to train and has as references Serena Williams, Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer, overcame a diminished rival with her physical tennis, who could not find solutions. This is how he made history for Greece, which for the first time has a representative in the semifinals of the two singles tables of a Grand Slam, because its compatriot Stefanos Tsitsipas He will face German Alexander Zverev for a place in the final on Friday. It is Sakkari's second victory against a top-10, after the one she won in Paris a couple of days ago against the American Sofia Kenin, a finalist last year. The Athenian player could make her debut in the top ten in the rankings if she lifts the title on Saturday. “Before the game, I sat down and thought, it's very important, but go out there and enjoy yourself, you're going to play on one of the best courts in the world,” explained Maria.
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