Ranked 71st in the world, Masarova managed to win against a top-10 player for the first time in her career. She took advantage of all three chances to score points when her opponent’s serve was weak during their 87-minute match.
In the U.S. Open, Greek player Maria Sakkari, who was the eighth seed, lost in the very first round. She was defeated by Rebeka Masarova from Spain, with a score of 6-4, 6-4, on Monday.
During the match, Masarova, who is ranked 71st globally, seized all three opportunities to score points from her opponent’s serve, and this helped her secure her first-ever victory against a top-10 player.
At the start, Sakkari was in control, breaking her opponent’s serve and taking a lead of 4-1. However, Masarova made a strong comeback and won the next five games, winning the first set.
In the second set, Masarova again broke her opponent’s serve and was ahead with a score of 5-3. Sakkari managed to hold her serve and stay in the game, but Masarova won the match on her second attempt with a backhand shot that landed just inside the corner.
Sakkari’s loss in this match made her the first seeded player to be eliminated from the U.S. Open. This defeat marked the end of a disappointing Grand Slam year for Sakkari, as she had previously reached the third round in the Australian Open but faced early exits in the French Open, Wimbledon, and now the U.S. Open.