Maria Sakkari let a huge lead disappear but recovered to take the last four games and beat top-seeded Jessica Pegula 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 in the DC Open semi-finals. Sakkari, a 28-year-old from Greece who is ranked No. 9 and seeded No. 4 at the tune-up for the U.S. Open, is trying to win her second career WTA Tour trophy and first on hard courts. She was up by a set and a break at 4-1 in the second before Pegula forced a third. She enters Sunday’s title match against Coco Gauff or defending champion Liudmila Samsonova with 0-5 record in hard-court finals.
