Maria Sakkari: "I don’t want to disrespect Coco Gauff but it would’ve been amazing if this match was over an hour ago"

Maria Sakkari booked her place in the final of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells after a hard-fought win over third seed Coco Gauff.

The ninth-seeded Greek competed in her third successive semifinal at the desert and started the match strongly by winning the opening set 6-4. She was leading 5-2 in the second and had a few match points before Gauff turned things around and eventually won the set via a tiebreak, forcing the match into a decider.

Sakkari eventually went on to win the third set and register a 6-4, 6-7(2), 6-2 win and reach her second final in Indian Wells.

The 28-year-old joked after the match that she would have loved the match to be over an hour before it actually finished.

“I don’t want to disrespect Coco but it would’ve been amazing if this match was over an hour ago. I’m gonna take this win even though it was in 3 sets… that was an amazing win. Coco is such an amazing opponent. She’s incredible. She fights every point. I’m just so happy I’m in the final once again here," Sakkari said.

Maria Sakkari now has a 5-3 head-to-head lead over Coco Gauff after defeating her in the Indian Wells semifinals.

"It's going to be very tough and very challenging" - Maria Sakkari on Indian Wells final against Iga Swiatek

Maria Sakkari in action at the BNP Paribas Open

After defeating Coco Gauff, Maria Sakkari will next take on World No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the Indian Wells final.

It will be a rematch of the 2022 title clash, which the Pole won 6-4, 6-1. It's also the last time the two locked horns.

Speaking of the match, Sakkari said that both players would fight and try to win the title. The Greek added that facing Swiatek would be "tough and challenging".

"I'm sure that I cannot really say much because we haven't played each other in two years. So it's always different to see that player playing against other players and not yourself. But, you know, one thing I know for sure is just that she's very good, I'm very good, and we're just going to fight and try and win that tournament," Sakkari said in her post-match on-court interview.

"Now, you know, it's something I want to start thinking tomorrow. But as I said previously, it's going to be very tough and very challenging, for sure," she added.

Sakkari currently leads 3-2 in the head-to-head against Swiatek and she will win her second WTA 1000 title if she comes out on top. If the Pole wins, it will be her 19th WTA singles title and second of 2024.