“I’m very proud of myself and Tsitsipas” – Maria Sakkari makes history for Greece with dream run in Indian Wells » FirstSportz
Maria Sakkaris dream run at 2022 Indian Wells ended in a straight-set loss to the 3rd seed Iga Swiatek in the final. The Greek was playing in her first WTA 1000 final but failed to clear the final hurdle as she lost 6-4, 6-1.
The stakes for the final were high as not only a WTA 1000 title was at stake but also world No. 2 rankings. But it was the Pole who quickly adjusted to the windy conditions and scored the crucial break to win the first set. Sakkari’s title fight faded in the next set and she again failed to clear the final hurdle. Nonetheless, it was a spirited run from Sakkari, who will move up two places to a new career high of world No. 3 in the standings, making her the highest-ranked player in the Open Era in Greek tennis history.
“It was a week that will have a special place in my heart“: Maria Sakkari
Sakkari might have lost the final but was delighted with her progress. She will be the only player alongside Stefanos Tsitsipas to take third place in the rankings. Sakkari spoke about how she and Tsitsipas brought about a new paradigm shift for tennis in Greece and also about two players representing Greece in the top 5. Sakkari and Tsitsipas have been at the top of Greek tennis for the last few years and this historic milestone also means Greece is one of the two nations alongside Spain to currently have the top five players in both the men’s and women’s rankings .
“I can’t believe there are only two girls above me right now. Anyone who has followed me over the past few years knows what that means to me. I’m very proud that me and Stefanos actually developed tennis in Greece. Having two players in this ranking is a great thing for us. I’ll say it again but I’m very proud of myself this week.” she said in her press after the game.
Eager to put her loss behind her, Sakkari already has her sights set on the Miami Open. She also noted how important her run at Indian Wells was to her after finally overcoming a mental hurdle by reaching the final. The Greek played in the biggest final of her career and put in a strong performance against a resurgent Swiatek.
“I think I played some very, very good matches. I really think I made a step forward this week even if I lost today. It was a week that will have a special place in my heart. I know it sounds kinda weird because I didn’t win the tournament, but I felt like I improved as a player this week. I think it’s a perfect situation right now because mentally I’m not going to walk away. I have a few days off and I’m ready for Miami because I think it’s a tournament that suits me.” she closed.
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https://firstsportz.com/tennis-im-very-proud-of-myself-and-tsitsipas-maria-sakkari-scripts-history-for-greece-with-dream-run-at-the-indian-wells/ “I’m very proud of myself and Tsitsipas” – Maria Sakkari makes history for Greece with dream run in Indian Wells » FirstSportz