Caroline Dolehide, ranked 111th in the world, defeated Sofia Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open champion, to reach the final of the Stone Valley Open, marking her first appearance in an WTA final where she will face second-seed Maria Sakari. In her inaugural appearance before a final in her career, Dolehide (25 years old) overcame a service break in both sets to win 7-5 and 6-3 in an all-American match that lasted one hour and 25 minutes.
Dolehide, who saved four match points in her quarterfinal against Martina Trevisan, was down 4-2 in the first set before winning three consecutive games to lead 5-4 and ultimately take the first set. She won five games in a row to recover from a 3-1 deficit in the second set and clinched victory after saving five break points in the final game, finishing the match on her first opportunity.
Sakari, ranked ninth in the world, also advanced to the Stone Valley final for the second consecutive year after defeating third-seed Caroline Garcia of France 6-3, 6-0. Sakari has not lost a set throughout her tournament journey and is aiming for her first title since winning the 250-point Rabat tournament in 2019.
