World No.3 Maria Sakkari of Greece was upset by China’s Wang Xiyu 3-6 7-5 7-5 in the second round of the US Open on Wednesday.
Even though Sakkari won the first set, she was stopped by the 2018 US Open girls’ singles champion Wang’s heavy hitting from the baseline in the second set, as the Chinese took a 5-3 lead before winning the set with the help of Sakkari’s double-fault. The third set was tighter, but it was the former junior No.1 Wang who stepped up in crucial moments, breaking Sakkari at 6-5 to take the match.
The 21-year-old Wang, occupying a career-high ranking of No.75, has now recorded her first Top 10 win and advanced to the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time. The Chinese has now won 14 of her past 21 matches on tour, including a semifinal run this summer at Washington, D.C.
As for Sakkari, this is her third loss to a player ranked outside of the Top 50 at a major this year. As the 2021 US Open semifinalist, Sakkari was defending 900 ranking points this fortnight in New York.
