medium sizearia Sakkari enters Arthur Ashe Stadium for the 2021 U.S. Open semifinals in the middle of a breakthrough season for her career. A few months ago, she came within one point of reaching the French Open final, but froze under the pressure and lost in a heartbreaking loss to Barbora Krejcikova. Still, she picked herself up and reached another important semi-final in New York, showing her resilience that huge opportunities will present themselves for whoever is brave enough to take them.
Sakkari was nervous again when she faced off against Emma Raducanu at Flushing Meadows. She started the match wearing a dress that was too big for her size, and although she was preoccupied with her outfit in the early stages, fiddling with it and complaining repeatedly to her team, the cold-blooded Raducanu seized the opportunity and easily earned 6 points -1, won 6-4 and never looked back.
Three years later, the two would meet in the third round and face another important opportunity. After losing to eighth seed Zheng Qinwen in the first round, Sakari became the highest-ranked player in the quarter-finals. The winner will compete with qualifier Sun Lulu or unseeded player Zhu Lin for a quarter-final spot. After the two rounds, the new Wimbledon semi-finalists will be determined in the Open Season 3 draw.
Regardless of how things turn out, Raducanu should leave Wimbledon with more evidence that she’s on the right track after an excellent grass-court season. Following the semi-finals of the Nottingham Open and the quarter-finals of Eastbourne, she reached the third round of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time since winning the US Open.
This has been Raducanu’s most sustained period of high-level tennis performance, with her six wins in the top 50 over the past few months as many as she had between October 2021 and the start of this year.
Raducanu controlled the tension in his first-round victory over lucky loser Renata Sarasua, opening his shoulders and hitting the ball with total freedom to score a straight-two win on Wednesday. The set suppressed the strong opponent Elise Mertens.
For Raducanu, her performance further highlighted her decision to skip French Open qualifying and train instead.
Sakkari has incredible speed and power, combining tremendous athleticism with a solid serve and a steady baseline. However, while she has become a perennial top-10 player, rising to No. 3 and posting consistent results in regular WTA events, she has struggled with the pressure of the Grand Slams. Coming into Wimbledon, she had suffered four first-round losses and one second-round loss in her past five Grand Slam tournaments.
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For Sakkari, winning two games in a row at a major event is already a step forward, but Friday will be another big challenge. She’ll be heading into enemy territory at center court, facing off against an opponent backed by a full-throated crowd, another test of how she handles nerves.
After facing two scrappy opponents who forced her to generate her own rhythm, Radukanu was at least able to absorb and redirect the rhythm generated by Sakkari.
This time, which player is brave enough to seize the opportunity?
