Maria Sakkari gears up to face the 'best player in the world' as Iga Swiatek stands between her and the Indian Wells trophy

She came in with hopes of winning and fought her way through to the finals. Her best performance came against Coco Gauff, where the former Indian Wells finalist managed to outlast the American youngster. 

Having successfully beaten Gauff, she moves ahead to face Swiatek in the finals. One may even remember them facing each other at the 2022 Indian Wells, where the Pole came out on top.

Where Sakkari has fought hard to keep her place in the tournament, Swiatek just cruises ahead, swatting her opponents without losing a set. Despite a better head-to-head record, Sakkari doesn’t consider it for her upcoming match.  

You know having that lead doesn’t really mean anything, because she is the best player right now in the world. I’m just going to, you know, try and keep the lead and stay. You know two wins ahead of her, but it’s going to be very, very tricky. Said Sakkari via the Indian Wells press. 

Maria Sakkari is unsure about her matchup against Iga Swiatek as she gears up for one showdown in the desert

Greek pro-Maria Sakkari has finally found some luck in a series of dry runs. She was caught in a bit of a slump and found great form in California.

After beating every other opponent, the former Indian Wells finalist found herself with one more chance at the title. 

The last time, she lost to Iga Swiatek in straight sets and will face the same opponent in a day. When asked about her opinion on Swiatek, the Greek was rather clueless, given that it had been two years since they last met. 

I’m sure that I cannot really say much because we haven't played each other in two years. So it is always different to see that player playing against other players and not yourself, said Sakkari via the Indian Wells press.

Nonetheless, the final stage has been set up for an amazing reunion and rematch between the two. With Sakkari aiming for her maiden title of the year, Swiatek will look to head into the Miami Open high on confidence that she can carry to the clay season.