Rebecca Massarova stuns No. 8 Maria Sakkari at the US Open

Tennis

by Matt Ehalt

August 28, 2023 | 3:06 p.m

The first big upset on the women’s side at the 2023 US Open is in the books.

71st seed Rebecca Masarova upset eighth seed Maria Sakkari 6-4 6-4 on Monday in Queens.

The shocking loss made Sakari rethink her immediate future.

“Maybe I should take a break, I’m struggling on the field” she told Greek outlet SDNA. “I I can’t make a decision now, it’s hard. I don’t have a clear mind.”

Massarova, a Spanish citizen, tied 0-4 against the top 10 players who entered this match. According to wtatennis.com.

The 24-year-old pulled off the surprise in 87 minutes and entered the match with just a 24 percent chance of winning, according to the newspaper. IBM Visions Available on the US Open website.

Sakkari, of Greek descent, quickly advanced 4-1 in the first set before Massarova bounced back in five straight games to take the set.

Masarova broke Sakkari’s serve midway through the second set, putting Sakkari on the brink of disqualification.

“I was nervous, but I started well. It wasn’t that I was tight, I don’t know what was wrong with me,” Sakkari said. “I was 4-1 up, I didn’t play great, but I did what I had to do. I kept worrying, but it’s not like I’ve lost my mind. I can’t explain it. It’s very unpleasant for me.”

Sakkari managed to level the score at 5-4, but Masarova hit the winning backhand to advance to the second round.

And Sakkari had a second set riddled with errors US Open website summaryHe finished with 18 unforced errors.

She previously outlasted Masarova in three sets at the WTA Championships in Madrid earlier this year, but Masarova managed to calm the storm after the initial flurry and rally to pull off the big upset.

Masarova will next face Slovakian 64th seed Ana Karolina Schmiedlova, who defeated 83rd seed Katerina Bendel 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in three sets.

She won’t face a higher-ranked player than Sakkari until the quarter-finals, though a potential showdown with No. 10 seed Karolina Muchova looms large.

Sakkari’s early exit continued the disappointing trend of early exits for the 28-year-old.

She has now been eliminated from Grand Slam events in the first round in eight of her 31 main-draw matches at the US Open, including earlier this year at Wimbledon.

Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk defeated Sakkari 0-6 7-5 6-2 in three sets.

This was her ninth US Open appearance and her best showing came in 2021 when she lost in the semifinals to eventual champion Emma Raducano.