Sakkari beats Swiatek in their opening match at WTA Finals

By CARLOS RODRIGUEZ
Associated Press

GUADALAJARA, Mexico (AP) — Maria Sakkari used her strong first serve to extend her dominance over former French Open champoin Iga Swiatek with a 6-2, 6-4 win in their opening match at the WTA Finals. The 26-year-old Sakkari also beat Swiatek in straight sets in the French Open quarterfinals and Ostrava semifinals this year. Sakkari won 26 of the first 27 points on her first serve and broke her opponent in the third and seventh games of the first set. She then broke again for a 4-3 lead in the second. The WTA Finals are being played in Guadalajara for this year only. The event is scheduled to return to Shenzhen, China in 2022.