WTA Finals: Kontaveit earns showdown with Muguruza in year-ending decider

Kontaveit
–
the
most
in-form
player
on
the
WTA
Tour
–
was
pushed
by
fourth
seed
Sakkari
in
Tuesday’s
semi-final
at
the
year-ending
championship
but
fought
hard
to
reach
the
biggest
final
of
her
career.

Having
entered
the
Guadalajara
showpiece
on
the
back
of
three
titles
and
19
wins
in
20
matches,
eighth-seeded
Estonian
star
Kontaveit
maintained
her
momentum
with
her
Tour-leading
48th
win
of
the
season.

Kontaveit
will
now
go
head-to-head
with
former
world
number
one
and
sixth
seed
Muguruza
in
a
repeat
of
their
group-stage
meeting,
which
the
latter
claimed
in
straight
sets.

The
first
set
was
straightforward
for
Kontaveit,
who
broke
twice
as
she
dominated
on
serve
against
Greece’s
Sakkari.

But
Sakkari
–
who
trumped
Aryna
Sabalenka
to
reach
the
semi-finals
at
the
expense
of
the
top
seed
–
remained
composed,
breaking
at
the
end
of
the
second
set
to
force
a
decider.

After
trading
breaks
early
in
the
third,
Kontaveit
eventually
prevailed
as
she
looks
to
avenge
her
loss
to
Muguruza
in
Wednesday’s
title
showdown.

Kontaveit
is
now
a
perfect
7-0
in
semi-finals
this
year
and
the
25-year-old
WTA
Finals
debutant
stands
on
the
cusp
of
a
third
straight
trophy
and
fifth
overall,
which
would
tie
world
number
one
Ash
Barty
for
the
most
this
year.

WINNERS/UNFORCED
ERRORS

Kontaveit
–
26/33

Sakkari
–
15/32

ACES/DOUBLE
FAULTS

Kontaveit
–
6/3

Sakkari
–
9/3

BREAK
POINTS
WON

Kontaveit
–
4/8

Sakkari
–
2/2