Skip to content
BNP Paribas Open
  • Tickets
  • Visit
  • Scores & Schedules
  • News
Get tickets

Indian Wells, California

March 6 - 19, 2023

Get tickets
  • Tennis Paradise Daily
  • Tickets & Packages Toggle
    • Series Packages
    • Mini Packages
    • Travel Packages
    • Group Packages
    • Luxury Suites
    • My Tickets Account
  • News
  • Players
  • Scores, Draws, & Schedules Toggle
    • Order of Play
    • Results
    • Draws
    • Printable
  • Tournament Toggle
    • Competition Schedule
    • How to Watch
    • Venue ↗
    • History
    • Past Champions
    • Sustainability
  • Plan Your Visit Toggle
    • Dining
    • Shopping
    • On-Site Activities
    • Transportation/Parking
    • Official Event Mobile App
    • FAQS
  • Tennis Events Toggle
    • The Eisenhower Cup Presented by Masimo
    • FILA Junior Championships
    • UTR Dingles Championships
    • UTR College Match
  • Health and Safety
  • Get Involved Toggle
    • Volunteers
    • Ball Crew
    • Employment Opportunities
  • Partnerships Toggle
    • Partners
    • Partnership Opportunities
  • 2024 BNP Paribas Open
  • Contact
BNP Paribas Open Insider News
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • youtube
General News, WTA

Sakkari Stops Defending Champion Badosa, Advances to Finals

by Chris Oddo
03/18/2022

Paula Badosa’s bid to complete the first successful women’s singles title defense at Indian Wells since 1991 has ended. 

The Spanish star, who stormed to her biggest title last October at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, had her streak thwarted by Greece’s Maria Sakkari, 6-2, 4-6, 6-1, on Friday night in Stadium 1. 

“I worked my entire life to get to these late stages of the tournaments,” an emotional Sakkari said on court after her win. “I know it looks maybe silly to someone – it’s not like I won the tournament, I’m in the final – but it means a lot to me.”

‼️ The Final Showdown ‼️#IndianWells pic.twitter.com/ybmR77ld7Z

— BNP Paribas Open (@BNPPARIBASOPEN) March 19, 2022

Sakkari, who reaches her fifth career final and the biggest of her career, will face Poland’s Iga Swiatek for the title on Sunday. Sakkari owns a 3-1 lifetime against the 20-year-old Pole, who defeated Simona Halep in straight sets to reach the final earlier on Friday. 

“I know Iga really well, she’s a lovely girl and an amazing player, she won a Slam at the age of 19, she’s an unbelievable player – I respect her a lot and admire her game,” said Sakkari. “It’s going to be an unbelievable fight for both of us and a very tough match for both of us, because I believe that we both really want to win that title.”

A Back-And-Forth Tussle 

Two of the most esteemed fighters on the WTA Tour locked horns for a spot in the BNP Paribas Open women’s singles final, and the result was – as expected – a breathtaking battle which featured plenty of jaw-dropping exchanges.

The pair of top-10 stalwarts traded baseline blows over three frantic, physical sets, with the Greek eventually proving too solid for Badosa in their second career meeting. 

“I was very concerned before the match because Paula is playing very different compared to all the other girls,” said Sakkari. “She has a very heavy game, and she obviously loves this tournament because she won this tournament six months ago, but I just had full faith and I believed in myself every single moment.”

The pair of hard-hitting rivals each picked their times to shine early. First it was Sakkari, who was devastating in the opening set as she dropped just a pair of games. After a tense start to the contest, Sakkari pulled ahead by a break and all but sealed the opener when she rallied from 15-40 down to hold for 4-1. 

At that moment she ran to her chair, bouncing and pumping her fist as she went, firmly in control and happy to send the message across the net. 

But Badosa, who had never lost at Indian Wells since making her stunning debut in 2021, offered resistance. She pushed through a tense middle set, coming through a patch of turbulence that featured three consecutive breaks of serve with a 3-2 edge. The 24-year-old would hold for 4-2, then save a break point for 5-3 before clinching the set in her next service game. 

Her momentum would be short-lived, however. 

BIG serve, BIGGER roar 🗣️@mariasakkari | #IndianWells pic.twitter.com/49nW30n4bU

— wta (@WTA) March 19, 2022

Sakkari took control of the third set early, and the determined Greek made sure she didn’t let it slip.

After an early trade of breaks, Sakkari pulled ahead with her sixth break of the evening for 3-1, and quickly consolidated for 4-1. She swept through the final two games, closing the contest in one hour and 48 minutes. 

Iga SwiatekMaria SakkariPaula Badosa
  • Share it with facebook
  • Share it with twitter
  • Share it with email
Popular news
  • Sunday, March 19, 2023 - Carlos Alcaraz celebrates after winning a match against Daniil Medvedev during the ATP Final of the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, California. (Jared Wickerham/BNP Paribas Open) 03/19/2023 ATP Championship: Alcaraz Powers Past Medvedev For BNP Paribas Open Crown and No. 1 Ranking
  • 03/20/2023 WATCH: The Story Of The 2023 BNP Paribas Open
  • 03/19/2023 Ten Takeaways From Tennis Paradise: Final Thoughts On The 2023 BNP Paribas Open
  • 03/19/2023 WTA Title Recap: Rybakina Gets The Best Of Sabalenka To Win Maiden BNP Paribas Open Championship
  • 03/19/2023 WATCH: Elena Rybakina’s BNP Paribas Open Championship Moment
Recent news
  • 03/20/2023 WATCH: The Story Of The 2023 BNP Paribas Open
  • 03/19/2023 WATCH: Carlos Alcaraz 2023 BNP Paribas Open Championship Moment
  • 03/19/2023 Carlos Alcaraz – Sunday, March 19, 2023
  • 03/19/2023 Daniil Medvedev – Sunday, March 19, 2023
  • 03/19/2023 Ten Takeaways From Tennis Paradise: Final Thoughts On The 2023 BNP Paribas Open

Post navigation

PreviousDouble Trouble: Previewing the Men’s and Women’s Finals
NextVideo: Iga Swiatek – Friday, March 18, 2022
  • bnp logo
  • penn logo
  • fila logo
  • IW logo
  • emirates logo
  • Media
  • Contact
  • Partnerships
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy
  • California Privacy Rights
© 2023 BNP Paribas Open a Desert Champions LLC Event
Close
Get the latest updates
Get the latest updates from Tennis Paradise
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Subscribe