Garcia Knocks Out Azarenka, Faces Sakkari In Gaudalajara; Kenin v Dolehide In Surprise SF

by Staff | September 22nd, 2023, 9:56 am
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After months of struggling, Caroline Garcia is finally putting together a good week of tennis. The former Top 5 has caught some momentum this week making the Guadalajara 1000 semifinals after cruising past 10th-seeded Victoria Azarenka in straights 6-3, 6-4.

Garcia served her way to 10 aces, saved all 11 break chances and Garcia never lost serve.

The Frenchwoman broke twice in the match, for 4-2 in the first and to start the second.


“I try to be aggressive, she’s likes to put pressure … and I try to really use my serve to start the point well, and be inside the court as fast as I can,” Garcia said to the WTA. “It’s always tricky. She had a lot of break point opportunities, but I served really well at those points, so I guess I have to thank my serve.

“At the beginning of the match, I was a little bit tight, my legs were feeling heavy and everything. I managed to stay calm and try to just move as much as I can and see what I can do.”

Garcia has the better of Azarenka now 4-1.

Up next will be the No. 2 seed Maria Sakkari who ended the run of 22-year-old rising Colombian Emiliana Arango 6-3, 6-4.

“Obviously today, it was a little bit windy,” Sakkari told the crowd. “She’s a very talented and promising player. She was playing free and she had nothing to lose, so it’s always tricky to play with someone that feels that way. Credit to her, she played a great match.”

An all-American semifinal was set as 25-year-old Caroline Dolehide had to work to eliminate Martina Trevisan 3-6, 7-6(11-9), 6-3. Dolehide saved four match points in the second set en route to the biggest semifinal of her career.

“To be honest, I just had to find a way today to win,” Dolehide said on court. “When I was down those match points, I told myself ‘Do what you practice,’ which my coach tells me every single day of my life.

“I just played with my kick, played with my best shots, and I ended up winning that set. It gave me a lot of confidence going into the third.”

And former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin advanced past Canada’s Leylah Fernandez also in three 6-4, 6-7(6-8), 6-1.

Kenin and Dolehide have never played at the tour level.


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