It was a tight, nerve-shredding battle on the outdoor hard courts in Cincinnati: Stefanos Sakellaridis defeated Martin Damm Jr. 6-4, 7-6 to advance to the qualifying final of the Western & Southern Open. The Greek, who reached a career-high ranking of No. 197 in May 2026, delivered an impressive display of his quality on the fast hard-court surface.
Sakellaridis takes control early
In the opening set, Sakellaridis made it clear from the outset who was dictating terms. His serve functioned solidly — he held serve on 91 percent of his service games — while Damm proved far more vulnerable on his own delivery. The American fended off only half of the break points he faced, handing his opponent the decisive leverage. Sakellaridis converted his chances ruthlessly, capitalising on 50 percent of his break points, while Damm managed just 13 percent. The result was a commanding first set, claimed by Sakellaridis 6-4.
Tiebreak settles the second set
The second set produced the most intense tennis of the match. Damm raised his level, holding serve at an improved rate of 82 percent and forcing his way into a tiebreak. But Sakellaridis pulled clear once again, winning the tiebreak 7-4 to take the set 7-6.
Statistics reflect the balance of power
The match statistics painted a clear picture. Sakellaridis struck ten aces to Damm's nine — a near-parity on paper that was not reflected in the overall contest. The decisive factor was the error count: Damm committed 37 unforced errors, significantly more than Sakellaridis's 28. The Greek also held the edge on first-serve points won, claiming 80 percent compared to Damm's 76 percent. Ultimately, it was the return game that made the difference — Sakellaridis won 34 percent of return points, Damm only 31 percent. Overall, the Greek took 53 percent of all points played. Sakellaridis now stands one win away from the main draw of one of the most prestigious hard-court events of the season — the last major Masters stop before the US Open.
