Sakkari showed character and passed to the third round of the Australian Open

·

Maria Sakkari did not have a good day against 18-year-old Russian player, Diana Shnaider, who made life difficult for her, but the Greek player showed character and won with an upset, to qualify for the third round of the Australian Open in Melbourne.

The Greek tennis player got into trouble, but she avoided the worst, coming back from a set down to beat Diana Shnaider 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, securing a ticket to the round of 32 at the Australian Open.

It will be the fourth time in the last five years that Sakkari will be in the “32” best of the Australian Grand Slam, having had her best runs in 2020 and 2022, when she reached the 16th.

Although Sakkari did not play her best tennis today, finishing the match with 32 winners and 40 unforced errors, she proved once again that she is not a Top 10 player by chance and when she found herself in a difficult position she coped with her mission to reach the upset against the talented Russian tennis player, who had nothing to lose and risked a lot in her shots.

The first set would have been different if Sakkari didn’t make such a bad start from the service line. In particular, the leading Greek tennis player of all time lost a lead of 40-0 in her first service game and suffered the break, as a result of which she fell behind 3-0.

The 18-year-old Shnaider served very well throughout the set and managed to win it 6-3. In the last game, it took 13 minutes, with Sakkari pressing and having 3 break points for 5-4. Finally, the Russian reached 6-3 in her fifth set point and put the No.6 player on the board in a difficult position.

Sakkari responded with a quick break in the second set, leading 3-0 and 4-1. The game took a wild beauty, with Shnaider reducing to 4-3 and Sakkari breaking again for 5-3. 

Maria Sakkari

The 18-year-old got the break back again for 5-4 and in the next game she erased 3 set points in a row from 4-5, 0-40, to hold her serve and tie it at 5-5. Sakkari did not lose her composure and concentration, winning 8 of the next 10 points and finally winning the set 7-5.

Sakkari continued to be significantly better than Shnaider in the 3rd set as well, although she also faced problems from the service line. In particular, the Greek player led 3-1 and suffered a break for 3-2. He immediately regained control, making it 4-2 with a new break and later 5-2 with a love service game.

In the sixth game, Shnaider erased 2 match points on her serve to finally reduce to 5-3, Sakkari, however, was not deterred and came back from 0-30 in the next game, to win 4 points in a row and make it 6- 3, finishing the match in 2 hours and 33 minutes.

In the third round of the Australian Open, Sakkari will face either Jil Teichmann, No.32 on the board, or Lin Zhu.

Cretan Convention - Web Banner

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

Bouzouki Night 2025: A celebration of youth, culture and Hellenic pride in the Capital

It was a night of kefi in Canberra as 300 guests filled the Hellenic Club of Canberra for the Hellenic Youth Club’s Bouzouki Night 2025.

Cretan and Kalymnian youth in Sydney unite for a night of dance, music and kefi

The spirit of Greece came alive in Sydney as the Cretan Youth Association of Sydney and the Kalymnian Youth Society of NSW hosted Xoro.

Greek language attainment award, from yiayia’s kitchen to the classroom

The Greek Centre in Melbourne filled with pride and applause on Saturday, October 18 as the GCM honoured students of all ages.

Once a year, the future gathers at the Australian Hellenic War Memorial

Once a year, on an October spring morning, the Australian Hellenic War Memorial (AHWM) fills with the laughter of children.

Parliament House to host inaugural Women of the Greek Diaspora Forum

The Embassy of Greece in Australia will present the inaugural Women of the Greek Diaspora Forum, an exciting event.

You May Also Like

Rebetiko music to fill Sydney’s City Recital Hall during symphony concert

One of the many stand out events of the 2023 Greek Festival of Sydney's cultural program is the Rebetiko – Symphony Concert.

Connie Bonaros MLC says SA Parliament still has ‘toxic’ workplace culture

SA-Best MLC Connie Bonaros said South Australia's parliament still has a "toxic" culture of bullying and harassment.

Oakleigh Grammar responds to controversy over raising of North Macedonian flag

Oakleigh Grammar has responded to controversy around its decision to raise the flag of North Macedonia on school grounds on September 8.