WTA Finals: Sakkari, Badosa dominate opening matches in Group Chichen Itza

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After the first batch of round-robin matches completed in Group Teotihuacan on the first day of the Akron WTA Finals Guadalajara, Group Chichen Itza action kicked off on Thursday with Maria Sakkari and Paula Badosa recording victories in match-ups of the season-ending tournament debutantes.

Maria Sakkari WTA Finals Guadalajara
Maria Sakkari of Greece in action during the first round-robin match at the 2021 Akron WTA Finals Guadalajara WTA tennis tournament

Standing out in the Adidas Marimekko Tank and Skirt, Maria Sakkari defeated Iga Swiatek 6-2 6-4 to extend her 2021 and overall head-to-head record over the Pole to 3-0. The fourth-seeded Sakkari won 96.3% points on her first serve in the match that lasted one hour and 26 minutes. The Greek broke Swiatek, the youngest player in the field, in the third and seventh games of the first set, and again for a 4-3 lead in the second set.

Paula Badosa WTA Finals Guadalajara

Spain’s Paula Badosa won ten straight games to recover from a 4-2 deficit and beat top seed Aryna Sabalenka 6-4 6-0. The Spaniard started the year ranked 70th, while this Monday she cracked the Top 10.

Besides having a breakthrough season in her career, Badosa is also enjoying a great period in her love life. Our photographer Jimmie48 captured this wonderful moment of Paula Badosa and her boyfriend Juan Betancourt before the WTA star’s Thursday’s match.

Paula Badosa boyfriend Juan Betancourt
Paula Badosa of Spain with boyfriend Juan Betancourt before her first round-robin match at the 2021 Akron WTA Finals Guadalajara WTA tennis tournament

Friday’s schedule at the Akron WTA Finals Guadalajara features the second batch of matches in Group Teotihuacan: Karolina Pliskova vs. Anett Kontaveit and Barbora Krejcikova vs. Garbine Muguruza.

This is the only time that the WTA Finals are being staged in the high-altitude Mexican city of Guadalajara. The tournament will return to Shenzhen, China, next year.

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Marija Zivlak
Marija Zivlak is the founder and editor-in-chief of Women’s Tennis Blog, a trusted source for in-depth coverage of the WTA Tour, tennis fashion, and player insights. Based in Belgrade, Serbia, she has been reporting on women’s tennis for over 18 years and has contributed exclusive fashion articles to the official WTA website. Marija launched Women’s Tennis Blog on March 31, 2007 to provide fans with accurate, engaging, and up-to-date tennis news. Her expertise and deep connections within the sport allow her to offer unique perspectives on tennis trends, gear, and events.

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