Rain halts play in Gauff-Sakkari Indian Wells semi-final

The women's semi-final between US Open champion Coco Gauff and Greece's Maria Sakkari was halted by rain Friday with Sakkari up a set in the battle to take on Iga Swiatek in Sunday's final.

Ninth-ranked Sakkari had taken the opening set 6-4 and Gauff was serving at 15-15 in the first game of the second set when rain hit for the second time in the match.
The players had already waited out a 20-minute delay in the eighth game of the opening set when light rain made it too slippery to play, AFP reports.

When play resumed, Sakkari clawed out the first break of serve of the match to take a 5-4 lead and served out the set before heavier rain set in.

The winner of the match will take on world number one Swiatek in Sunday's final. Swiatek routed Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk 6-2, 6-1 in the first semi-final.

SR