Maria Sakkari experiences it every year in Australia, the USA (especially in New York), and of course, in Germany.
Wherever she goes to play, in the stands, there are Greeks who will chant for her, make placards and wave flags.
She is playing in Berlin this week, and dozens of Greeks have paid a ticket to admire and support her. After her qualification to the Quarter Final of the Berlin Open, she did not fail to thank them.
"We say Greeks are everywhere and that's actually a fact. There are a lot of Greeks in Germany, a lot of Greeks in Australia, in the US and Canada," she said.
"It's great to have their support everywhere I go because if you know Greek people, we really love our country, we really support each other," the tennis star said. "It's great to have them by my side everywhere I go."
Maria Sakkari on support from the Greek fans:
“If you know Greek people, we really love our country. We really support each other. It’s great to have them by my side everywhere I go.” 🥹🇬🇷 pic.twitter.com/GhHbEeLQKP
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) June 22, 2023
Maria Sakkari didn’t let Aliaksandra Sasnovich catch her breath and with an outstanding performance, she easily won 2-0 sets (6-2, 6-1) and advanced to the quarterfinals of the Berlin tournament.
The Greek champion showed from the very first games that she was in tremendous form and didn’t allow her opponent to claim anything in a game where she laid the foundations for a comfortable victory early on, finishing in just 65 minutes.
After her emphatic win in the first round against Alize Cornet, Sakkari was impressive with her serve, securing four breaks and leaving no room for doubt against Sasnovich.
The 27-year-old champion started the first set with a 3-0 lead, breaking in the second game, and with consistent shots and a strong serve, she easily reached 6-2.
Emphatic from @mariasakkari 💪
Through to the Berlin quarterfinals where she will face Vondrousova!#bett1open pic.twitter.com/vSj3fyIXNW
— wta (@WTA) June 22, 2023
With high confidence and excellent reactions to all of Sasnovich’s attempts to make a comeback, Sakkari took a 3-0 lead in the second set, securing a second break later on, and closed the match with an imposing 6-1 score.
In the quarterfinals tonight, Sakkari will face Marketa Vondrousova, who advanced after the withdrawal of German player Niemeier. If she qualifies, she will have a clear path to the final, potentially facing either Avanesian or Vekic in the semifinals.
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