Greek Sakkari Boosts Chances of Making WTA Finals Cut

Maria Sakkari. (AFP)
Maria Sakkari. (AFP)
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Greek Sakkari Boosts Chances of Making WTA Finals Cut

Maria Sakkari. (AFP)
Maria Sakkari. (AFP)

Greek Maria Sakkari has climbed to fifth spot in the race to qualify for the season-ending WTA Finals in Mexico on the back of her consistent results, the women's tour has said.

The 26-year-old made five semi-finals during the 2021 season, including the French and the US Open majors, before finishing runner-up at the WTA 500 event in Ostrava, Czech Republic, last week.

After starting the year ranked 22nd, the Athens-born Sakkari also reached her career-best ranking of 10th when the women's rankings were updated on Monday.

"People don't realize how big it is for someone who at the age of 26 - not the age of 20 - cracks into the Top 10," Sakkari said in Ostrava. "When no one believed I could do it, myself and the people around me really believed in me.

"I don't want to sound like I achieved my goal, but it's a big step for my career and for every tennis player. Of course I see myself as higher, but we'll take it step-by-step."

Defending champion Ash Barty, world number two Aryna Sabalenka and French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova have all qualified for the WTA Finals, which will be held in November in Guadalajara, Mexico.

The Finals, contested by the world's top eight singles players and eight doubles teams, was moved out of China's Shenzhen after last year's event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wimbledon finalist Karolina Pliskova is currently fourth on the leaderboard followed by Sakkari, Iga Swiatek, Naomi Osaka and Garbine Muguruza.



Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal Advances to Club World Cup Round of 16 with 2-0 Win over Pachuca

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - JUNE 26: Salem Aldawsari #29 of Al Hilal celebrates his team's first goal during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 group H match between Al Hilal and CF Pachuca at GEODIS Park on June 26, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee. Alex Grimm/Getty Images/AFP
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - JUNE 26: Salem Aldawsari #29 of Al Hilal celebrates his team's first goal during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 group H match between Al Hilal and CF Pachuca at GEODIS Park on June 26, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee. Alex Grimm/Getty Images/AFP
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Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal Advances to Club World Cup Round of 16 with 2-0 Win over Pachuca

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - JUNE 26: Salem Aldawsari #29 of Al Hilal celebrates his team's first goal during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 group H match between Al Hilal and CF Pachuca at GEODIS Park on June 26, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee. Alex Grimm/Getty Images/AFP
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - JUNE 26: Salem Aldawsari #29 of Al Hilal celebrates his team's first goal during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 group H match between Al Hilal and CF Pachuca at GEODIS Park on June 26, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee. Alex Grimm/Getty Images/AFP

Salem Aldawsari scored in the 22nd minute and Al Hilal beat Pachuca 2-0 on Thursday night to clinch a berth in the Club World Cup round of 16.

Marcus Leonardo also scored for Al Hilal, the only team outside Europe and the Americas to advance out of group play.

Al Hilal will next face English club Manchester City on Monday in Orlando, Florida.
Aldawsari, attacking from the left, scored with the ball bouncing off his right foot and soaring over the head of Pachuca goalie Sebastian Jurado to the right side of the goal.

The game drew 14,147 to Geodis Park, which has a capacity of 30,000, The Associated Press reported.

As Pachuca kept trying to keep the pace up, Leonardo scored his first goal of the tournament in the last minute of extra time, dribbling swiftly past Jurado and sending a left-footed shot in to secure Al Hilal's spot in the round of 16.

Al Hilal is the second team from Group H to move on, as Real Madrid clinched through a 3-0 victory against RB Salzburg.

Pachuca ended the tournament winless.

“Every player wants to score, my goal was ambitious, and scoring was the cherry on top,” said Aldawsari.

Al-Hilal coach Simone Inzaghi said: "Our goal was to achieve (being in) the group of the best teams in the world.

"It was not an easy task, but the team was well united. It fought during the three games for a great objective ... we were not coming here just to have fun, we were coming here to play a World Cup and we wanted to reach this stage.

"Now we'll have to play against Manchester City ... it's one of the greatest teams in the world. These are the games where you can improve and you can mature as a team, so I'm very proud."