Chwalinska 2-1 Sakkari: a 6-0 start, a 7-5 escape in Wuhan

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6-0. That was the first set in Wuhan, and it still took a third set — and 7-5 inside it — before Maja Chwalinska could shake off Maria Sakkari in the quarterfinal. The final ledger: 2-1, 98 points to 85, 16 games to 11.

The opening set was one-way traffic by the numbers: Chwalinska won 12 service points to 8 and 14 return points to 4, broke three times, and Sakkari needed four saves from seven break points just to stay on the scoreboard. Set two flipped everything. Sakkari landed two aces, won 24 service points to 17, scored the set's only break and saved both break points she faced to take it 6-3.

The decider was tighter still. Sakkari actually won more service points, 28 to 27, but Chwalinska ruled the return court at 18-10, converted her one break and saved the only break point against her. Sakkari rescued five of six, and it still ended 7-5.

Chwalinska's win reads oddly on the serving sheet. No aces, one double fault across three sets, yet 78% of first serves in play (63 of 81) and 42 of 102 return points won. Sakkari owned the serve numbers — 60 service points to 56, 47 to 45 on first serve, all three aces — and saved 11 of 15 break points, but converted just one of five. Chwalinska turned four of her fifteen, and that gap decided it.

Zero aces, a 6-0 opener, a 7-5 escape — Chwalinska took the messy route and the semifinal spot with it.