'Toughest match I’ve played in a while,' Maria Sakkari showers Emma Navarro with praise as she stuns the American to reach 2024 Indian Wells semifinals

Navarro was up against the resilience of Sakkari, who managed to stay calm despite an initial set loss. Coming back from a lot of trouble, the Greek swatted her opponent in the second set to take the match to a final round. 

Both players were in for a game, with the semi-final spot on the line. In the end, it was Sakkari who was triumphant. She beat Navarro 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 in a tough match to win the game and set herself up for the semi-finals of the season. Furthermore, the Greek showered her opponent with praise for giving a tough match. 

That was the toughest match I’ve played in a while. Emma is an incredible player. She’s a very nice girl. I got to meet her the last few days. She’s been playing amazing. It’s a huge win for me. I’m very happy I found a way to win this match today. Said Sakkari in the post-match interview. 

Maria Sakkari finds a massive breakthrough in the Indian Wells as she sets up a semi-final clash against Coco Gauff

Breakpoint star Maria Sakkari was one player the world had all eyes on. After a decent 2023, she was expected to do more this year. Unfortunately for the Greek, she did not get many wins and saw herself out of the tournament in the early stages. 

With a change of coach and tactics, Sakkari started afresh to try to tweak her luck. Surprisingly, it worked at Indian Wells, where she has been nothing but phenomenal. After beating some top players, the 28-year-old gained some much-needed wins and WTA points. 

Now, Sakkari has herself a date with top-ranked American Coco Gauff. The youngster has been nothing but good since last year and is the one youngster to beat. Even though these two have faced each other before, they promise an exciting matchup, drawing more attention to the game.