Sakkari Hopes 'strong Mind' Will Take Her Far At Australian Open
Muhammad Rameez Published January 17, 2022 | 10:10 AM
Melbourne, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Jan, 2022 ) :Maria Sakkari said Monday dispelling "negative thoughts" helped propel her to two Grand Slam semi-finals last year -- and she hopes to go even farther at the Australian Open.
The Greek fifth seed battled past Germany's Tatjana Maria 6-4, 7-6 (7/2) to kick-start her campaign as she looks to build on a breakout 2021.
The 26-year-old made the semis at both the US Open and French Open to telegraph her intent and is seeded in the top 10 of a Slam for the first time at Melbourne Park.
She said she felt she belonged at the top, which she put down to a new-found belief.
"I think that's why I got to play two semi-finals in Slams last year," said Sakkari, who played the first match on the main Rod Laver Arena to launch the season's opening Grand Slam.
"I started working a lot in my mind on how I can get all these negative thoughts and all this pressure away from me.
"Of course, you can never do like a hundred percent what you're trying to do, trying to achieve, but you can improve.
I proved myself that I have a strong mind. I proved it on court actually." She took time to settle against Maria but soon found her groove to break for a 5-4 lead and serve out the opening set in 44 minutes.
But the 287th-ranked German refused to give up and made Sakkari work hard, taking the match to a tiebreaker before her resistance was broken.
"We all know how hard first rounds can be and that wasn't easy," said the athletic Sakkari, who also made the semi-finals of the season-ending WTA Finals last year.
"Tatjana played a really great match and I found it tough. It was my first match and I needed time to find my rhythm.
"I was also a little bit stressed to open the tournament in this wonderful stadium."Sakkari will next play Chinese qualifier Zheng Qinwen, who upset Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus in three sets.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
UHS declares MBBS first prof, MS urology exam results
Separate coaches to be hired for ODIs, Test and T20I formats
Finance Minister calls for reforming tax system to improve country's economy
PM calls for joint efforts to check smuggling, power theft
Infinix Unveils a Vibrant New Chapter with Wahaj Ali: The face of Infinix NOTE 4 ..
PM makes two more appointments in his team
Terrorists of Shangla suicide attack will be brought to justice: Interior Minist ..
Applications Open for 6th Cycle of Start-up Incubation under the National Expans ..
Join vivo's "Light it Up" Social Media Contest in Ramadan to Win vivo V30 5G
Pakistan v New Zealand T20I series: Tickets to go on sale from today
Currency Rate In Pakistan - Dollar, Euro, Pound, Riyal Rates On 29 March 2024
Today Gold Rate in Pakistan 29 March 2024
More Stories From Sports
-
Army, Wapda, Navy win inaugural matches of Ramazan Cup Basketball Tournament
9 minutes ago -
Separate coaches to be hired for ODIs, Test and T20I formats
56 minutes ago -
Pakistan v New Zealand T20I series: Tickets to go on sale from today
5 hours ago -
Tennis: ATP-WTA Miami Open results: collated
19 hours ago -
Pak, NZ T20I series online ticket booking from tomorrow
19 hours ago -
Football: Italian Serie A table
20 hours ago
-
Nottingham Forest's double European Cup winner Lloyd dies
20 hours ago -
Two more matches decided in Inter College Ramadan T-20 Cup
20 hours ago -
PCB dismisses FICA's claims of unpaid dues in PSL
1 day ago -
Sinner and Medvedev book Miami Open semi-final clash
1 day ago -
Collins and Alexandrova fight into Miami semi-finals
1 day ago -
Van Aert breaks collarbone, ribs in Flanders fall
2 days ago