Maria Sakkari knocked out reigning champion Paula Badosa in Friday's Indian Wells semi-finals and will take on Iga Swiatek in the title decider after the world number four fought back from a break down in each set to overpower Simona Halep.

Sakkari, who had won only two of her last 14 semi-finals, broke down in tears after reaching the biggest title match of her career following a 6-2 4-6 6-1 win over Spain's Badosa in the California desert.

"I work my entire life to get to this, to the late stages of the tournaments. It means a lot to me," said Sakkari, who is ranked sixth in the world.

The 26-year-old powered through the opening set with ease but lost momentum in the second before rediscovering her first-set level and cruising to a nerveless conclusion, hitting 28 winners in total.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/indian-wells-world-no-4-iga-swiatek-beats-romanias-simona-halep-to-book-final-berth-463662">Indian Wells: World No. 4 Iga Swiatek beats Simona Halep to book final berth</a>

Sakkari will take on Swiatek in Sunday's final after the Pole notched a 7-6(6) 6-4 win over Halep in just under two hours to extend her winning streak to 10 matches and reach her second straight final having won the WTA 1000 title in Doha last month.

"I know Iga really well... She's an unbelievable player," Sakkari added. "I respect her a lot and I admire her game. It`s just going to be an unbelievable fight for both of us and a very tough match for both of us."

Former French Open champion Swiatek prevailed in a topsy-turvy first set, saving two set points in the tiebreaker and hitting 19 winners to Halep's five to close out the opener.

Halep, a two-time Grand Slam winner, swung the momentum back in her favour in the second set but was unable to fight past the 20-year-old Swiatek, who rallied from 4-2 down before winning 16 of the final 21 points to seal the semi-final result.

After being pushed to three sets in her first three matches this week, Swiatek picked up her second straight-sets win in a row, following up her 6-1 6-0 dismissal of Madison Keys with victory over Halep.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/indian-wells-andrey-rublev-eases-past-bulgarias-grigor-dimitrov-to-enter-semi-finals-463666">Indian Wells: Andrey Rublev eases past Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov to enter semi-finals</a>

"It is insane, honestly," Swiatek said, reflecting on her second straight final.

"At the beginning of the tournament, I wouldn't even think of it, especially after winning in Doha ... It's really over my expectations so I'm really happy."

"In my previous matches against Simona, I always felt like I had nothing to lose because I was always not the favourite, but this one, I felt like my ranking is higher and obviously I've been playing well."

"It was stressful for sure but I wanted to fight until the end and be mentally stronger because Simona is a really strong player, mentally. She's not giving up so I wanted to do that better. I'm pretty proud that I did that."

Maria Sakkari knocked out reigning champion Paula Badosa in Friday's Indian Wells semi-finals and will take on Iga Swiatek in the title decider after the world number four fought back from a break down in each set to overpower Simona Halep.

Maria Sakkari knocked out reigning champion Paula Badosa in Friday's Indian Wells semi-finals and will take on Iga Swiatek in the title decider after the world number four fought back from a break down in each set to overpower Simona Halep. Sakkari, who had won only two of her last 14 semi-finals, broke down in tears after reaching the biggest title match of her career following a 6-2 4-6 6-1 win over Spain's Badosa in the California desert. "I work my entire life to get to this, to the late stages of the tournaments. It means a lot to me," said Sakkari, who is ranked sixth in the world. The 26-year-old powered through the opening set with ease but lost momentum in the second before rediscovering her first-set level and cruising to a nerveless conclusion, hitting 28 winners in total. ALSO READ: Indian Wells: World No. 4 Iga Swiatek beats Simona Halep to book final berth Sakkari will take on Swiatek in Sunday's final after the Pole notched a 7-6(6) 6-4 win over Halep in just under two hours to extend her winning streak to 10 matches and reach her second straight final having won the WTA 1000 title in Doha last month. "I know Iga really well... She's an unbelievable player," Sakkari added. "I respect her a lot and I admire her game. It`s just going to be an unbelievable fight for both of us and a very tough match for both of us." Former French Open champion Swiatek prevailed in a topsy-turvy first set, saving two set points in the tiebreaker and hitting 19 winners to Halep's five to close out the opener. Halep, a two-time Grand Slam winner, swung the momentum back in her favour in the second set but was unable to fight past the 20-year-old Swiatek, who rallied from 4-2 down before winning 16 of the final 21 points to seal the semi-final result. After being pushed to three sets in her first three matches this week, Swiatek picked up her second straight-sets win in a row, following up her 6-1 6-0 dismissal of Madison Keys with victory over Halep. ALSO READ: Indian Wells: Andrey Rublev eases past Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov to enter semi-finals "It is insane, honestly," Swiatek said, reflecting on her second straight final. "At the beginning of the tournament, I wouldn't even think of it, especially after winning in Doha ... It's really over my expectations so I'm really happy." "In my previous matches against Simona, I always felt like I had nothing to lose because I was always not the favourite, but this one, I felt like my ranking is higher and obviously I've been playing well." "It was stressful for sure but I wanted to fight until the end and be mentally stronger because Simona is a really strong player, mentally. She's not giving up so I wanted to do that better. I'm pretty proud that I did that."

Indian Wells: Maria Sakkari knocks out defending champion Paula Badosa to book final date with Iga Swiatek

Canadian teenager Bianca Andreescu stunned eighth-seeded Angelique Kerber 6-4 3-6 6-4 to win the BNP Paribas Open and capture her first career title in Indian Wells on Sunday (March 17).

Andreescu used creative and aggressive shot-making to defeat the German despite suffering with a troublesome right shoulder on a hot and sunny day in the Southern California desert.

The 18-year-old dropped her racket and fell on her back when Kerber hit a backhand into the net on match point to deliver the tournament wildcard the biggest win of her young career.

Andreescu played fearlessly at the outset, breaking the former world number one Kerber, seeded eighth, in the opening game of the match and taking the first set.

Kerber battled back to claim the second and looked like she would cruise to the finish line when she broke to go up 3-2 in the third after Andreescu needed a medical time out to have her heavily taped right shoulder worked on by a trainer.

Momentum swung in Andreescu's direction when she broke back to level the set at 3-3 and held serve to love in the next game.

Nerves appeared to get to the Canadian near the end, when Kerber saved three match points behind some stout defence.

But Andreescu broke the German in the next game to win the title on the 14,000-seat stadium court.

With the win, Andreescu, who was ranked 152 at the end of last season, is expected to reach the WTA top 30.

Canadian teenager Bianca Andreescu stunned eighth-seeded Angelique Kerber 6-4 3-6 6-4 to win the BNP Paribas Open and capture her first career title in Indian Wells on Sunday (March 17).

Canadian teenager Bianca Andreescu stunned eighth-seeded Angelique Kerber 6-4 3-6 6-4 to win the BNP Paribas Open and capture her first career title in Indian Wells on Sunday (March 17). Andreescu used creative and aggressive shot-making to defeat the German despite suffering with a troublesome right shoulder on a hot and sunny day in the Southern California desert. The 18-year-old dropped her racket and fell on her back when Kerber hit a backhand into the net on match point to deliver the tournament wildcard the biggest win of her young career. Andreescu played fearlessly at the outset, breaking the former world number one Kerber, seeded eighth, in the opening game of the match and taking the first set. Kerber battled back to claim the second and looked like she would cruise to the finish line when she broke to go up 3-2 in the third after Andreescu needed a medical time out to have her heavily taped right shoulder worked on by a trainer. Momentum swung in Andreescu's direction when she broke back to level the set at 3-3 and held serve to love in the next game. Nerves appeared to get to the Canadian near the end, when Kerber saved three match points behind some stout defence. But Andreescu broke the German in the next game to win the title on the 14,000-seat stadium court. With the win, Andreescu, who was ranked 152 at the end of last season, is expected to reach the WTA top 30.

Unseeded Bianca Andreescu stuns Angelique Kerber in three sets to win Indian Wells singles title

Canadian sensation Bianca Andreescu toppled sixth-ranked Elina Svitolina 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 on Friday and will face Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber for the WTA title in Indian Wells.

Germany's Kerber, ranked eighth in the world, ended Belinda Bencic's 12-match winning streak with a 6-4, 6-2 victory to reach the final in the California desert for the first time in her third semi-final appearance.

Kerber won the last four games of the opening set and the last three games of the second to subdue Bencic, who was coming off her first WTA title in four years in Dubai.

The 22-year-old Swiss, whose career was disrupted by a string of back and wrist injuries, had beaten six top-10 players in her winning streak, including world number one and defending Indian Wells champion Naomi Osaka in the fourth round here.

But she couldn't find a way past Kerber, who broke Bencic from 30-0 down in the final game of the opening set.

Kerber dropped her serve in the opening game of the second set, but broke Bencic twice to lead 3-1 before the Swiss clawed back another break.

But Kerber, taking full advantage of Bencic's 27 unforced errors in the match, won the next three games, to clinch it.

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A quick word from your <a href="https://twitter.com/Bandreescu_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BAndreescu_</a> after her big win! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BNPPO19?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BNPPO19</a> <a href="https://t.co/cfmM4wSaPV">pic.twitter.com/cfmM4wSaPV</a>
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"It's always tough to play against Belinda," Kerber said. "She played so great in the past few weeks.

"I was trying to focus only on my side of the court. I was trying to play concentrated, and going for it when I had the chance.

"I really enjoy the semi-finals here - it was already twice here, and I'm really happy to be in the final for the first time now."&nbsp;

Kerber, 31, will be playing 18-year-old Andreescu for the first time.

"I'm really looking forward to a really tough battle. She's here as a wild card, and she beat a lot of good players," Kerber said. "She has nothing to lose, she enjoys her tennis and she's a great player."

Andreescu, ranked 60th in the world after starting the year at 152, continued a stellar run that included a quarter-final victory over former world number one Garbine Muguruza.

She's the first wild card to reach the women's final at Indian Wells.

Making history

"It's incredible," she beamed when told of the achievement. "Another goal of mine was to make history and I just did."

"I really need a moment to soak this all in. This is just so incredible," an emotional Andreescu told the crowd. "This past week has been a dream come true."

Andreescu, who came through qualifying to reach the final at Auckland and made the semi-finals in Acapulco in February, had to dig deep to close it out against Svitolina, who saved on match point against her serve in the penultimate game to force Andreescu to serve it out.

It would take three more match points for a weary-looking Andreescu to succeed, when another baseline rally ended with Svitolina firing a forehand into the net.

"I really need a moment to soak all this in," said an emotional Andreescu, who was battling cramp in the closing games.

"I think the cramping was because I was so stressed out with everything," Andreescu said. "But I have had many moments like this in the past, playing Challenger events, juniors. Breathing really helps for me, so I took a lot of deep breaths and I tried not to get mad at myself. It really worked.

"It was a roller coaster," she said. "I'm really happy I pulled through."

Canadian sensation Bianca Andreescu toppled sixth-ranked Elina Svitolina 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 on Friday and will face Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber for the WTA title in Indian Wells.

Canadian sensation Bianca Andreescu toppled sixth-ranked Elina Svitolina 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 on Friday and will face Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber for the WTA title in Indian Wells. Germany's Kerber, ranked eighth in the world, ended Belinda Bencic's 12-match winning streak with a 6-4, 6-2 victory to reach the final in the California desert for the first time in her third semi-final appearance. Kerber won the last four games of the opening set and the last three games of the second to subdue Bencic, who was coming off her first WTA title in four years in Dubai. The 22-year-old Swiss, whose career was disrupted by a string of back and wrist injuries, had beaten six top-10 players in her winning streak, including world number one and defending Indian Wells champion Naomi Osaka in the fourth round here. But she couldn't find a way past Kerber, who broke Bencic from 30-0 down in the final game of the opening set. Kerber dropped her serve in the opening game of the second set, but broke Bencic twice to lead 3-1 before the Swiss clawed back another break. But Kerber, taking full advantage of Bencic's 27 unforced errors in the match, won the next three games, to clinch it. A quick word from your @BAndreescu_ after her big win! #BNPPO19 pic.twitter.com/cfmM4wSaPV — WTA (@WTA) March 16, 2019 × "It's always tough to play against Belinda," Kerber said. "She played so great in the past few weeks. "I was trying to focus only on my side of the court. I was trying to play concentrated, and going for it when I had the chance. "I really enjoy the semi-finals here - it was already twice here, and I'm really happy to be in the final for the first time now." Kerber, 31, will be playing 18-year-old Andreescu for the first time. "I'm really looking forward to a really tough battle. She's here as a wild card, and she beat a lot of good players," Kerber said. "She has nothing to lose, she enjoys her tennis and she's a great player." Andreescu, ranked 60th in the world after starting the year at 152, continued a stellar run that included a quarter-final victory over former world number one Garbine Muguruza. She's the first wild card to reach the women's final at Indian Wells. Making history "It's incredible," she beamed when told of the achievement. "Another goal of mine was to make history and I just did." "I really need a moment to soak this all in. This is just so incredible," an emotional Andreescu told the crowd. "This past week has been a dream come true." Andreescu, who came through qualifying to reach the final at Auckland and made the semi-finals in Acapulco in February, had to dig deep to close it out against Svitolina, who saved on match point against her serve in the penultimate game to force Andreescu to serve it out. It would take three more match points for a weary-looking Andreescu to succeed, when another baseline rally ended with Svitolina firing a forehand into the net. "I really need a moment to soak all this in," said an emotional Andreescu, who was battling cramp in the closing games. "I think the cramping was because I was so stressed out with everything," Andreescu said. "But I have had many moments like this in the past, playing Challenger events, juniors. Breathing really helps for me, so I took a lot of deep breaths and I tried not to get mad at myself. It really worked. "It was a roller coaster," she said. "I'm really happy I pulled through."

Canadian teen Bianca Andreescu to face Angelique Kerber in Indian Wells final