Russian tennis star Daria Kasatkina wasn’t concerned about her losing streak versus the top-10 players because she was mostly losing to world No. 1 Iga Swiatek. On Sunday, world No. 23 Kasatkina recovered from a set down to beat world No.
5 Maria Sakkari 3-6 6-3 6-1. Kasatkina entered the Sakkari match knowing she lost her five meetings versus top-10 players. This season, Kasatkina met Swiatek three times and three times ended on the losing side. After beating Sakkari, Kasatkina was asked to reflect on ending her losing streak versus the top-10 players.
Swiatek hasn’t lost in a two and a half months and Kasatkina made a valid point when asked about ending her losing streak versus the top-10. “Those five matches…three of them were against the same person!
Three in a row,” Kasatkina told WTA Insider.
Kasatkina on snapping her 5-match losing streak to Top 10 players:
“Those five matches…three of them were against the same person! Three in a row.” #MMOPEN pic.twitter.com/Qcxi2C47Iu — WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) May 1, 2022
Kasatkina recovered to beat Sakkari
Kasatkina got off to a slow start as Sakkari led 3-0 after the opening three games.
Kasatkina never recovered from an early break down as Sakkari held on to her serve the rest of the set to win the opener. Kasatkina bounced back in the second set as she earned her first break of the match in the eighth game to take a 5-3 lead and then saved four break points in the following game before realizing her third set point to force a decider.
After winning the second set, Kasatkina made a strong start to the third set as she took an early 4-0 lead. Kasatkina earned her third break of the third set in the seventh game to complete a comeback win. “The beginning was a bit shaky,” Kasatkina said, as quoted on the WTA Tour website.
“In the end of the first set, I found my game and the ways to turn this match around. The score is not showing exactly how the match was going, but I’m happy that I could close the match and not spend a lot of time on the court.” Kasatkina plays Sara Sorribes Tormo next.
