Sakkari recovers from 2-4 down to sweep past Fruhvirtova into Singapore last 16

Greek Maria Sakkari, the No. 7 seed, trailed 2-4 in the opening set of the last match of the day on Tuesday, then took control and won 10 of the last 11 games to beat Czech Linda Fruhvirtova 6-4, 6-1 and move into the last 16 of the Singapore Tennis Open presented by BNP Paribas.

The world No. 33 reeled off four straight games to take the first set, then gave up only one game in the second against the world No. 177. Both players were making their first appearance in Singapore. It was their second career meeting, after Sakkari won their first in the second round in Beijing in 2023, 6-4, 6-2.

Sakkari thanked the crowd for staying late and said she wanted to make the most of her week in the city.

“I really want to explore, really want to play as many matches as I can in front of you guys,” she said on court. “You’re a very loud crowd, and thank you for staying with me. I know kids are still in school here, so I’m so thankful that you brought your kids today. It’s a special place to play. It’s an amazing country, so I’m very, very pleased and very honored to play here.”

The Greek was satisfied with how she turned her form into results.

“You might be playing well in practice, but, you know, matches are different situations,” she said. “So, I’m very happy with how I played and how I executed my game. So, no complaints from today.”

Fruhvirtova, playing only her fourth career WTA 500 main draw, is still waiting to reach the last 16 at that level for the first time.

Sakkari will face Japanese qualifier Nao Hibino next, and she is expecting a fight. “Every match is tough. You have to be careful and play your best game to beat those players,” she said. “Because regardless of their ranking, everyone will play well nowadays. It’s going to be a tough match, and I’m ready for another battle.”