© Getty Images Sport – Christopher Pike
Maria Sakkari is set to exit the top-10 for the first time in two and a half years after suffering a devastating Doha loss and picking up her eighth consecutive loss against top-30 players.
As the seventh seed in Doha, Sakkari had a first-round bye. After a first-round bye, Sakkari made a strong start against world No. 28 Linda Noskova but then blew a big lead as the 19-year-old Czech came back to upset the Greek 3-6 7-6 (2) 7-5.
For Sakkari, who entered this week as the ninth-ranked player in the world, it was her eighth consecutive loss against a top-30 player – the most negative streak against top-30 players of her career, via OptaAce.
8- Maria Sakkari has registered her 8th consecutive loss against a top-30 opponent, it is her longest losing run against such opponents in her career. Fall. #QatarTotalEnergiesOpen | @QatarTennis @WTA @WTA_insider pic.twitter.com/lP8MZIbpZY
— OptaAce (@OptaAce) February 13, 2024
Also, Sakkari – who made the Doha semifinal last year – is set to drop points and slump out of the top-10 on Monday. For Sakkari, this will be the first time that she is exiting the top-10 since entering it in 2021 September.
