The hard-hitting Shnaider broke Sakkari’s opening serve and showed huge guts to save three break-back points and secure the opening set in 48 minutes on her fifth set point.
At the Australian Open on Wednesday, Maria Sakkari narrowly defeated college student Diana Shnaider after a close match that she “felt she was going to lose.” The sixth-seeded Greek player eventually prevailed in three sets of play—3-6, 7-5, 6-3—to go to the third round, narrowly avoiding the worst shock of the year’s first Grand Slam. In a 2 hour and 33 minute test on Margaret Court Arena, Shnaider, an 18-year-old qualifier from Russia who attends North Carolina State, pushed Sakkari all the way.
“Very difficult to say. During the game, there were times when I believed I would lose, but my belief eventually roused me “Reportedly, Sakkari.
Shnaider, a powerful hitter, broke Sakkari’s opening service and displayed incredible bravery by fending off three break-back opportunities to win the first set in 48 minutes on her fifth set chance.
Since I couldn’t feel my game, I would say that in the first set I sensed that (I would lose), Sakkari stated.
“I became quite combative. I haven’t felt that way in a very long time. But then I suppose that I was able to find a method since I put in a lot of effort.”
At the beginning of the second set, Sakkari, one of the tournament favourites, regained momentum by breaking Shnaider’s first service game and taking a 3-0 lead.
Shnaider came back once again
Before Sakkari forced a third set, Shnaider came back once again, saving four set points.
– Screaming celebrations-
Sakkari, who is vying for his first Grand Slam championship, said: “It’s never easy to play someone who you’ve never played before, you’ve never seen on the circuit.”
She continued, “I was a little bit apprehensive because she was swinging really hard and playing quite aggressively.”
She continued, “I was a little bit apprehensive because she was swinging really hard and playing quite aggressively.”
You can get really amped up during a game, Sakkari said. But it’s inappropriate the way some players celebrate scoring. That didn’t make me happy.
“But, you know, she didn’t repeat the behaviour. She was incredibly kind to do it. That was it, then.”
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