Maria Sakkari delivered a commanding 6-2, 6-1 upset over No. 6 seed Jasmine Paolini at the Mutua Madrid Open on Sunday, April 27, marking her first victory over a Top 10 opponent in 13 months and advancing her to the Round of 16.
“I was clear on what I had to do on the court,” Sakkari said. “Just went out and executed it perfectly. I didn’t give her any room to breathe. That was my goal — that is the goal against the very good players.”
The win snapped an eight-match losing streak against Top 10 players, dating back to last year’s BNP Paribas Open, and levelled her career record against Top 10 opponents on clay to 6-6. By ranking, it is her biggest win of the season.
“It feels pretty good because it’s been a while since I had, let’s call it a statement win for myself,” she added. “It wasn’t easy all this time. But at the same time, I knew that I had to trust, as we say, the process.”
Now on a three-match win streak, Sakkari will face No. 17 seed Elina Svitolina next, with their head-to-head standing at 2-2. It will be their first clash on clay.
The Greek player credited her renewed partnership with coach Tom Hill—returning after nearly a year with Peyton Stearns—for helping her regain confidence. “We believe in each other. Just feels very comfortable and he knows my game like no one else,” she said.
Sakkari dominated the match with six aces, breaking Paolini’s serve six times and facing just one break herself. Paolini was aiming to reach the fourth round at a WTA 1000 event for a fifth straight time.
Source: WTA Tennis.
