By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, January 12, 2021

 

Aryna Sabalenka dismissed Maria Sakkari 6-3, 6-2, to score her 14th straight win and charge into the Abu Dhabi WTA Women’s Tennis Open final.

Photo credit: Getty

Aryna Sabalenka transformed a blockbuster semifinal into power hour.

The streaking Sabalenka dismissed Maria Sakkari 6-3, 6-2, to score her 14th straight win and charge into the Abu Dhabi WTA Women’s Tennis Open final.

More: Osaka Named Louis Vuitton Ambassador

The explosive Belarusian blasted 22 winners and needed just 61 minutes to beat the Greek for the fourth time in a row and reach her third consecutive championship match. 



A supremely-confident Sabalenka slashed eight aces, won 24 of 29 first-serve points and dropped serve just once.

World No. 22 Sakkari surrendered just one set in reaching the semifinals, including winning 10 consecutive games to close out top-seeded Sofia Kenin yesterday.

Today, Sabalenka controlled the center of the court tearing through the final five games to fly into the final.

The fourth-seeded Sabalenka ended 2020 playing some of her best tennis claiming successive titles in Ostrava and Linz tying Simona Halep for 2020 Tour lead with three titles and finishing the year ranked No. 10.

Sabalenka aims to win her ninth title and extend her career-best winning streak in tomorrow's final against talented Russian Veronika Kudermetova. 



A day after she surprised second-seeded Elina Svitolina, Kudermetova was back at it. 

Kudermetova fought off tough teenager Marta Kostyuk 7-6(8), 6-4 to reach her first Tour-level final.

The 46th-ranked Kudermetova converted five of nine break points in the one hour, 40-minute win.

Credit Kostyuk for fighting off four match points and breaking back for 4-5. Undaunted, Kudermetova coaxed a forehand error to close it on her fifth match point.