Sakkari stops Potapova in Abu Dhabi opener

ABU DHABI, U.A.E. -- No.9 seed Maria Sakkari of Greece opened her 2021 season with a victory, collecting a 6-4, 6-2 triumph over Russian teenager Anastasia Potapova in the first round of the Abu Dhabi WTA Women’s Tennis Open.

The World No.22 attained a measure of revenge with her 86-minute victory over 101st-ranked Potapova, as the Russian had won their only previous meeting via a final-set tiebreak in the 2017 Miami Open qualifying rounds -- which was Potapova's first-ever appearance in a singles draw at a WTA event.

This time around, though, Sakkari was the player in control, hitting 18 winners to Potapova's 12 during the match, and converting three of her eight break points while never dropping her own serve.

"I worked a lot on my serve in, let’s say, the last nine months," Sakkari told the media during her post-match press conference. "It’s going really well, I have to say. I’m super pleased with the way I’m serving. I’m getting good results inside the court from my serve."

19-year-old Potapova, who was playing her first match on tour since reaching the third of her three consecutive WTA singles quarterfinals at Monterrey in March, was undone by 23 unforced errors, including six double faults, as the former Wimbledon junior champion was unable to repeat another upset of the Greek.

"It was kind of like a survival situation when you were playing the points," said Sakkari, who marveled at the fast speed of the court. "Especially with new balls, the balls were coming quick. Serving was one of the most important things today."

In the second round, Sakkari could face another teenager in Coco Gauff, if the 16-year-old American can get past Norway's Ulrikke Eikeri in their first-round clash.

After the combatants worked their way through protracted games in each of their first attempts at the service line this season, Sakkari earned the critical first-set break to claim a 2-1 lead due to consecutive netted backhand errors by Potapova, who received treatment on her left shoulder during the early stages of the match.

The Greek found the rhythm on her serve from that point forward in the opener, slamming one of her five aces in the opening frame to hold for a 5-3 lead. Potapova had to shake off three double faults in the following game before regrouping to hold for 5-4 and forcing Sakkari to serve out the set.

In that game, Sakkari stumbled for the first time all day, firing errors to fall behind triple break point, but the Greek methodically staved off all of Potapova’s chances to steer back to set point. By forcing an error from the Russian with a fierce forehand, Sakkari notched the one-set lead, fending off all four of Potapova’s break points in the process.

Sakkari also broke in the third game of the second set, and earned a commanding lead by dominating with powerful crosscourt groundstrokes to attain a second break of the frame and lead 4-1. The Greek slammed another ace to hold for 5-1 before Potapova could stop her opponent's five-game winning streak with a hold for 5-2.

A backhand winner by Potapova brought the Russian to 30-30 in the next game, but a deep forehand winner by Sakkari one point later gave the Greek her first match point. There, Potapova ended a rally with a netted shot, and Sakkari had earned her first win of the season.

For all the live scores from the Abu Dhabi WTA Women's Tennis Open, click here.