LINZ/STARNBERG, January 30, 2025

Maria Sakkari once again demonstrated how well she adapts to the fast indoor conditions at the Upper Austria Ladies Linz. The No. 3 seed from Greece delivered a commanding second-round performance against Bulgarian Viktoriya Tomova, winning 6-3, 6-2. The former World No. 31 signaled her intent to replicate her deep run in Linz from 2023 when she reached the semi-finals of the WTA Tour event.

Shout out to the dj @mariasakkari | #WTALinz pic.twitter.com/9ZI9gG8dPp

— wta (@WTA) January 29, 2025

After struggling with shoulder issues that prematurely ended her previous season, Sakkari was visibly relieved to regain her form: “This was a win I really needed. I was looking forward to feeling like myself on court again. I served well, played solid from the baseline, and my tactics worked perfectly. I missed playing like the old Maria.”

Up next for Sakkari will be either Croatian qualifier Antonia Ruzic or fifth favourite Dayana Yastremska from Ukraine.

Kraus falls in first round

Home favourite Sinja Kraus was unable to pull off an upset at the Upper Austria Ladies Linz, despite a spirited performance. The 22-year-old Austrian, who earned her spot in the main draw with an impressive qualifying run, fell to Anna Blinkova of Russia 6-7(3), 2-6 after just over 90 minutes of play.

“I’m taking away a lot of positives. I saw that I could almost dictate the game against a player of her caliber. It’s reassuring to know that my game can cause real problems for my opponents,” Kraus said and to feeling “a little sad” about missing out on a potential clash with Elina Svitolina, who will now face Blinkova in the round of 16.