A Battle Between ‘Two Fighters’ – Badosa and Sakkari Set Semifinal Clash

On Thursday afternoon at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, Greece’s Maria Sakkari was asked to look ahead to her semifinal with defending champion Paula Badosa. Her response? Just a hint shy of Clubber Lang’s infamous “pain” prediction from Rocky III.

“I think it’s going to be a very tough match for both of us,” Sakkari said with a grin. 

[5] Paula Badosa v [6] Maria Sakkari 
Head-to-Head: Badosa leads 1-0
Sakkari in 2022: 15-4, 0 Titles | Sakkari at Indian Wells: 7-3 (semifinal best performance)
Badosa in 2022: 13-4, 1 Title (Sydney) | Badosa at Indian Wells: 10-0 (2021 champion)

Sakkari, who defeated Elena Rybakina, 7-5, 6-4, in Thursday’s first women’s quarterfinal at the BNP Paribas Open, has never been one to shy away from a battle. 

Ditto her counterpart, who eased past Veronika Kudermetova, 6-2, 6-3 to stretch her winning streak at Indian Wells winning streak to ten matches. 

“She’s a fighter,” Badosa said of Sakkari. “I really see myself sometimes in her. I think we play quite similar, or we try to do the same things.” 

Badosa and Sakkari’s career arcs are in line as well. Both players came into their own in 2021, making top-10 debuts and reaching deep at the Grand Slams for the first time – Sakkari reached her first two major semifinals at Roland Garros and the US Open last year; Badosa reached her first quarterfinal at Roland Garros. 

In 2022, all signs point to both becoming mainstays in the top-10 and, possibly, great rivals. 

THESE SEMIFINALS 🫶

🇷🇴 [24] Halep vs. [3] Swiatek 🇵🇱
🇪🇸 [5] Badosa vs. [6] Sakkari 🇬🇷#IndianWells pic.twitter.com/Sb6XnZGagS

— wta (@WTA) March 17, 2022

Sakkari and Badosa – Physical Phenoms 

Both players pride themselves on their ability to make life difficult for their opponents.

“That’s what I want to show my opponents always at the beginning of the matches, that if you want to win against me, you have to stay there three hours and play very well,” Badosa says. “I think a little bit what I want to show them is they have to be three hours on court.” 

That should suit Sakkari just fine – the Greek plays every match with a chip on her shoulder, daring her opponents to try and match her stamina. 

“My physicality is something that I think it’s probably the strongest part of my game,” she said, before adding: “But then again, I feel like I’ve improved on my serve, I’ve improved on my groundstrokes. I don’t have a huge hole in my game.” 

Home Court Advantage, Badosa? 

Though Badosa’s experience is limited at Indian Wells, her perfect record at the BNP Paribas Open speaks volumes about the synergy that exists between the Spaniard and the playing conditions in the Coachella Valley. 

The high bounce and the speed of the ball through the court suit her perfectly, and she says she knew it even before she became a regular fixture in the winner’s circle. 

“Let’s see in the future, but I think I will play good in this tournament,” Badosa told reporters on Thursday. “Now, of course, I’ve won so many matches here, I feel so comfortable playing here… I like the conditions. I like when the ball bounces [high]. It’s a little bit maybe slower.

“As well, the balls fly less here so you can play more the point. There’s a lot of things that make me feel very well here.” 

Sakkari, who played her first match on Stadium 1 against Rybakina, will have to contend with a player that is carrying the confidence that comes with comfort. 

“Obviously she has been playing very good and she likes the conditions here,” she said. “I mean, winning last year, making potentially the semis now, it’s a lot of matches in a row winning in this tournament. I know I can beat her, but I can lose -she’s a top-10 player for the last six or seven months.”

Badosa Tackles the Kudermetova Challenge
Badosa’s Road to the Semis: Tereza Martincova, Sara Sorribes Tormo, Leylah Fernandez, Veronika Kudermetova

Entering Thursday’s quarterfinal with a 0-3 record against Kudermetova did nothing to deter the confidence of defending champion. In today’s second women’s singles semifinal, the Spaniard wasted little time getting her nose out in front of her one time nemesis, and passed every test over the course of her 6-2, 6-3 triumph, which lasted one hour and 23 minutes. 

Undefeated in the desert 👏#IndianWells pic.twitter.com/3n73Z5Cqya

— BNP Paribas Open (@BNPPARIBASOPEN) March 17, 2022

Badosa, now a perfect 10-0 lifetime, is one or three women who remain undefeated at Indian Wells, along with 1990 and 1991 champion Martina Navratilova (10-0) and Manuela Maleeva (4-0), the 1989 champion. 

The Spanish phenom jumps to 13-4 on the season thanks to a near flawless serving performance that saw her drop just 15 points on serve and save the only break point she faced. 

“I started to serve very well, I think that was the key, and to stay very aggressive, not let her move me a lot, and when she’s aggressive, try to get as many balls as possible back,” Badosa remarked on court after the victory.

Badosa has won all eight sets she has played this year at Indian Wells, and won 20 of 22 sets overall since she made her main draw debut in 2021.

Sakkari Sweeps Past Rybakina
Sakkari’s Road to the Semis: Katerina Siniakova, Petra Kvitova, Daria Saville, Elena Rybakina

An 11 A.M. start may have been a tad too early for Maria Sakkari on Thursday, but not to worry – it all worked out in the end. The sixth-seeded Greek, squaring off with power-serving Elena Rybakina, the No.17 seed from Kazahkstan, quickly fell behind 3-0 in the opening set, and seemed out of sorts while doing so. 

But a few games later, after a break of serve that levelled the score at 4-all, the persistent pugnacity of the never-switched-off Sakkari started to pay dividends against Rybakina. 

Sakkari took hold of the match and never let it go, eventually notching a satisfying 7-5, 6-4 victory to earn her place in the BNP Paribas Open semifinals for the first time.

“Obviously some moments were a little bit tight and I was a little bit stressed, but I’m very happy that mentally I got through,” she said on court after the win.

🇬🇷 Greek grit 🇬🇷#IndianWells pic.twitter.com/6HPtGXEEBj

— BNP Paribas Open (@BNPPARIBASOPEN) March 17, 2022

Rybakina had only been broken once in three matches leading up to her quarterfinal clash with Sakkari, but after she sprayed an errant forehand 20 feet wide of the sideline to hand Sakkari a second break and a 5-4 lead in set one, it was clear that the determined, unwavering play of the Greek was making significant inroads. 

She would finish the day surrendering three breaks of serve, hindered by a 50 percent first-serve percentage, more than five percent below her season average.

“I came back a lot of times in my career, and today was one of those days,” Sakkari said. “I just had hope and faith in myself. I told myself ‘Just try to make it physical, just try to make a lot of balls.’ I was not serving great in the first couple of games but I’m very pleased that I’m in the semifinals in a tournament where I hadn’t won a match in four years.”

If it was talent that sparked Sakkari’s rise up the rankings in 2021, a season that saw her reach her first two major semifinals and crack the top-10 for the first time, it could be experience that guides her even higher in 2022. 

“I was a very good version of myself last year, I just want to become an even better version than last year,” she told reporters earlier this week. “If I can do that, then I’m sure that I’ll achieve better things than last year.”

That experience seemed to play a significant role in today’s victory on Stadium 1 against Rybakina. A slow start and early deficit didn’t rattle her, as it might have in years past; it only seemed to give her a reason to play with more determination. 

Sakkari took the first set, 7-5, and kept probing in the second. 

Rybakina also had chances in the second set, including four break point opportunities in the second game, which would have staked her to another lead, but Sakkari stood firm in those moments. 

Sakkari had points for a double-break lead in the fifth game, but Rybakina, who had taken the only previous meeting between the pair in 2020, stayed within striking distance.

Victory vibes 👍#IndianWells pic.twitter.com/rByLvlQBya

— BNP Paribas Open (@BNPPARIBASOPEN) March 17, 2022

She held serve the rest of the way, and even had 15-30 when Sakkari served for the match at 5-4, but once again the determination of the Greek stood tallest. She clinched the victory when a Rybakina backhand sailed long and leapt in the air as she let out a joyful shout.

“I’m just supper happy that a got the win today,” Sakkari said.