Super Sakkari soars into Swiatek clash in BNP Paribas Open Indian Wells final, dethrones defending champion Badosa

Maria Sakkari will get another opportunity to overcome her final hoodoo on Sunday when she faces Iga Swiatek at BNP Paribas Open Indian Wells.

It will be a battle for World No.2 and for Sakkari is the biggest final of her career yet after often getting so close but yet so far in Grand Slams in particular in the past year.

It is a second final of the season for the Greek after losing at the St Petersburg Ladies Trophy to Anett Kontaveit but in doing so in the desert, she dethroned the defending champion Paula Badosa 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 in a superb battle.

It was all Sakkari to begin the tie with Badosa struggling early on and in just 37 minutes, she took the opener hitting 11 winners to the Spaniard's 2 with 75% of second serve points.

But Badosa turned it around in the second breaking Sakkari twice to build a 4-2 lead before concluding her service games to force a decider.

Back came Sakkari though as she raced into a 2-0 lead and in going 2-1 up, she claimed the last four games to win after just under two hours.