WTA roundup: Maria Sakkari cruises to win in homeland Athens Open
Maria Sakkari hits during her loss to Iga Swiatek in round 3 of the women’s singles at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif., March 9, 2026. Fourth-seeded Maria Sakkari won 76.9% of her first-serve points (20 of 26) on Wednesday en route to an easy 6-1, 6-2 victory over Great Britain's Harriet Dart in the second round of the Athens Open in Greece.
The Greek won seven straight games at one point in the match. Sakkari will next face Alycia Parks, who rallied for a 6-7 (4), 6-2, 7-5 victory over Japan's Mai Hontama.
No. 5 seed Sara Bejlek of the Czech Republic sailed to a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Lilli Tagger of Austria. Also, China's Zheng Qinwen registered a 6-4, 6-1 triumph over Australia's Elena Micic.
UniCredit Iasi Open
Tamara Zidansek delivered seven aces while outlasting No. 7 seed Anna Bondar of Hungary 7-6 (5), 6-7 (5), 7-5 in a second-round match in Romania.
Bondar led 3-2 in the third set before Zidansek won five of the last seven games to win it. Zidansek will next face No. 2 seed Petra Marcinko of Croatia. Marcinko defeated Armenia's Elina Avanesyan 7-6 (3), 7-6 (5).
Clara Burel sailed to a 6-1, 6-1 victory over No. 8 and fellow Frenchwoman Elsa Jacquemot. Also, Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan knocked off Armenia's Alina Charaeva 6-3, 6-3.
--Field Level Media
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