Top-seeded Sakkari loses at St Petersburg final
Top-seeded Maria Sakkari was upset by Anett Kontaveit 5-7, 7-6 (4), 7-5 in the final of the St Petersburg Ladies Trophy on Sunday.
It was the second-seeded Kontaveit’s fourth straight indoor title and her 20th consecutive win in an indoor match. She ended last season with titles at Ostrava, Moscow and Cluj-Napoca.
The match lasted nearly three hours, with the eventual winner recovering from being a break down in the second and third sets to claim her sixth singles title overall.
Kontaveit had an early 5-2 lead in the first set, only for Sakkari to win the final five games. In the second set, Sakkari led 2-0, but Kontaveit equalized at 3-3; with the set at 5-5, Sakkari had two break points but both times she sent the ball into the net, allowing Kontaveit to hold service.
Sakkari herself saved a set ball in the next game; in the tie-break Kontaveit scored three straight points to lead 6-3 en route to a 7-4 final score to tie the game at a set apiece.
The third set was a mirror image of the first, with Sakkari taking a 5-2 lead, only to lose the final five games.
Sakkari is ranked No7 and Kontaveit is No9.
[AMNA/AP]
