Sakkari outlasts Andreescu in marathon to set up quarter-final clash against Pliskova

Greece’s Maria Sakkari reached the US Open quarter-finals for the first time after a marathon fourth-round win over 2019 champion Bianca Andreescu on Monday night, in what was the latest women’s finish match in US Open history. Sakkari will meet former world No 1 Karolina Pliskova, who defeated Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-5, 6-4 in another fourth-round match on Monday.

Sakkari needed three hours and 29 minutes to hand Andreescu her first loss at the US Open 6-7 92), 7-6 (6), 6-3 in three hours and 29 minutes, and finished at 2.13am, officially the latest women’s finish in the tournament’s history.

Andreescu, who won at Flushing Meadows in her 2019 debut but missed last year due to injury, needed a medical timeout in the third set and had her thigh bandaged which seemed to affect her movement toward the end of the match.

Pliskova says she is feeling great on and off the court

Wimbledon runner-up Karolina Pliskova reached the quarter-final of the US Open on Monday evening after a straight-sets win over French Open runner-up Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-5, 6-4.

The Czech, who reached her first Grand Slam final at the US Open five years ago, needed one hour and 35 minutes for the win.

Pliskova was the far more steadier than her opponent on the day – hitting 24 winners and unforced errors while the Russian hit 19 winners and 34 unforced errors in the match.

Pliskova, the WTA aces leader in 2021, also hit six aces in the match – taking her tally for the season to 347. The Czech said she was feeling good after her performances in New York after the first week.

“Actually I feeling good. Still of course Sascha is not here, which is frustrating a bit. But still I have good people around me. I think I’m feeling great off the court, on the court as well. Of course, not always you’re playing the best tennis. I somehow managed to like put maybe the tennis away, just try to enjoy a bit.”

There is not so much pressure on me that I have to win because I played well the last couple weeks.

Karoline Pliskova

“Everything is happening because I’ve been playing so much tennis and I’ve been having so many wins lately in the last couple weeks. I think that kind of helps to relax more and just to enjoy a little bit more. Of course, the motivation is much higher. I think everything is kind of connected. I can just somehow play more free, there is not so much pressure on me that I have to win because I played well the last couple weeks.”

“Also, it’s nice to have the fans back. It was not happening last year here of course for couple months. I like to give autographs, if I can.”

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