Maria Sakkari, Daria Kasatkina keep WTA Finals hopes alive in Guadalajara, 13 players still in contention

Maria Sakkari and Daria Kasatkina both kept their hopes of qualifying for the WTA Finals alive by reaching the last 16 in Guadalajara.

World No. 6 Sakkari beat Marta Kostyuk 6-4 6-4 to temporarily move into the last qualifying spot above Veronika Kudermetova, who plays her first match of the tournament against Donna Vekic on Wednesday.

Kasatkina remains seventh in the standings after easing past Zhu Lin 6-1 6-2.

There are 13 players currently in contention for the final five spots at the season-ending WTA Finals in Texas. Only Iga Swiatek, Ons Jabeur and Jessica Pegula have qualified.

“As much as I was trying to push away the thought of the Finals, to trick myself, I cannot,” Kasatkina told WTA Insider.

“I just have to accept this pressure and face it the way I can. It’s the first time I actually have a chance to compete, not as an alternate, so it’s stressful. But the way I am doing on the court, I’m pretty happy.

“I’m not in a bad position. And after this match I’m in an even better position. That’s why this was a really important one and now I feel I put the heavy backpack down.

“This pressure is good. If at the end of 2019 someone tells me in three years you’re going to have the pressure to go to the WTA Finals to play, I would say are you kidding me? I cannot believe it. So far it’s a very good problem to have.”

Vekic, who made the San Diego Open final last week, is close friends with Sakkari and will be looking to do her a favour against Kudermetova.

“She’s playing really well. I know she’s fighting for the Finals.

“I’m going to try to stop her for my sake and for the sake of my friends that are just behind her also, who for sure want me to win.”

Caroline Garcia, who is fifth in the standings, fired 13 aces to battle past qualifier Rebecca Marino 6-7(2) 6-3 7-6(5).

Bianca Andreescu fought back from a set down to beat Petra Kvitova, ending the two-time Grand Slam champion’s hopes of qualifying for the WTA Finals.

Kvitova needed to reach the final to have a chance of making the Finals, but only converted four of 12 break-point chances and served eight double faults against 2019 US Open champion Andreescu.

Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina beat Karolina Pliskova 7-6(5) 6-2 to set up a clash with third seed Jessica Pegula.