WTA Finals 2021 - Anett Kontaveit edges out Maria Sakkari to set up showpiece final with Garbine Muguruza

Updated 17/11/2021 at 12:33 GMT

Anett Kontaveit will take on Garbine Muguruza for her third consecutive title on Wednesday after battling past Maria Sakkari in the semi-finals of the WTA Finals. Kontaveit is on an incredible run of form of late and made it seven wins in seven semi-finals this season. Sakkari, meanwhile, was a break up in the third set and fell to her sixth semi-final defeat in seven attempts.

Anett Kontaveit

Image credit: Getty Images

Anett Kontaveit has beaten world No. 4 Maria Sakkari 6-1 3-6 6-3 to reach the final of the WTA Finals on her tournament debut.

The 25-year-old Estonian is on a remarkable run of form and will be gunning for a third consecutive title when she takes on world No.1 Garbiñe Muguruza on Wednesday.

Kontaveit has won all seven of her semi-finals this year on her meteoric rise to the top of the game, but a WTA Finals crown will be her biggest yet should she win.

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"I still can't quite believe that I'm even here and I'm playing against the best players at such a prestigious tournament," Kontaveit said. "I'm just so proud of myself that I managed to do this and so happy to be competing at this level and just trying to take it all in.

"I feel like the last few months have really showed me that I can play really well, I can beat great players consistently.

"I think I sort of have this self-belief now. When I came here, of course, I had nothing to lose. Every time I step on the court, I still think I can win the match, just do well."

Kontaveit struck 32 winners to Sakkari´s 17 on her way to the final and was once again near-unbeatable on serve.

She raced through the first set in 27 minutes without facing a break point.

Sakkari, emboldened by saving two break points at the beginning of the second set, clung on to the match and stole her first break after 70 minutes of play.

With brutal efficiency, she won her only break point of the match to take Kontaveit into a decider. Sakkari then struck first in the third, breaking to go 3-2 up.

But the Greek, who has now won just one of her seven semi-finals this year, looked uncomfortable in the lead and Kontaveit punished her with a break and a hold to love with eight consecutive points to turn the set around.

Sakkari then threw away a 40-0 service lead to be broken again by Kontaveit, who served out the match for a place in the final.

"Serving on the game, I just saw the finish line," Sakkari said. "Things went downhill. Today was a missed opportunity from my side.

"It's definitely from my side. Obviously there's a lot of respect from my side to (Kontaveit's) game. I think today I was just very close to taking that chance. I just wasted it.

"That's why it hurts so much. It's not that it was just bad luck, it's that I threw away another chance. It hurts."

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