Swiatek, Sakkari to duel in desert again

LONDON – World No. 1 Iga Swiatek will take on resurgent Maria Sakkari in the Indian Wells women’s final today aiming to repeat her 2022 title triumph over the Greek.

Swiatek has been a dominant force since then, running her tally of Grand Slam titles to four and rarely surrendering the No 1 world ranking she first claimed in April of 2022.

Meanwhile, Sakkari has struggled to find consistency, but with new coach David Witt in her corner, she believes she is turning things around.

“We always say in tennis one day can change everything, but a month ago I was in Abu Dhabi, I couldn’t hit a ball over the net and now I’m just here in one of the biggest tournaments playing another final,” Sakkari said after clawing out a three-set semi-final victory over reigning US Open champion Coco Gauff.

“It’s just that, you know, those are lessons and those are things that you have to just accept the more you’re on the tour that you’re going to have some bad times, and then things can really change in a week.”

Sakkari, now ranks ninth in the world, arrives in the final battle-tested.

Although she squandered three match points in the second set of her rain-disrupted match against Gauff, she was able to pull away late and give herself a shot at a third WTA title and her first since the Guadalajara 1 000 in September.

“I’m very proud of myself that I kept my nerves,” Sakkari said. “And then I just fought hard in that third set.”

Swiatek, in contrast, has not dropped a set in a run to the final that included a 6-4, 6-0 third-round victory over Czech Linda Noskova – who unceremoniously dumped Swiatek out of the third round of the Australian Open earlier this year.