Serving notice: Maria Sakkari won't settle for near-perfect despite powerful Indian Wells performance
“I remember that point that I lost,” Sakkari told Tennis Channel Live after winning 24 of 25 first-serve points against Kvitova in Indian Wells.
WATCH: Maria Sakkari stops by the Tennis Channel desk following her win in the third round of Indian Wells.
Maria Sakkari won a stunning 24 out of 25 first-serve points in a powerful display against Petra Kvitova on Monday, as she dropped just three games to storm into the fourth round at the BNP Paribas Open.
But when reviewing her serving performance with Tennis Channel’s Steve Weissman and Chandra Rubin after the match, the Greek player revealed a glimpse of the rarely satisfied perfectionist side that all top players have: “I remember that point [that I lost],” Sakkari said, smiling wryly at the Tennis Channel Live desk.
It’s a fascinating peek inside the mind of an athlete who has transformed herself from a perennial Top 30 presence into the No. 6 player in the world by always finding ways to improve—even after an emphatic 6-3, 6-0 rout over two-time Grand Slam winner Kvitova. Sakkari saved both break points she faced on Stadium Two, and reeled off nine games in a row to close out the match in 66 minutes.
That victory sent Sakkari back into the round of 16 here for just the second time in her career, continuing the positive momentum she’s built up after reaching a semifinal in Doha and final in St. Petersburg.
“I think I’m growing, becoming a little bit more mature. Thinking in a better way when I'm inside the court, in a more positive way,” Sakkari said, also giving a shout out to longtime coach Tom Hill for his guidance: “I'm just very happy to have him by my side—not because he's here now watching, but we do have a great relationship.”
At this time last year, Sakkari was ranked No. 25 and had been knocking on the door of the WTA’s upper echelons for a while—and it wouldn’t be too long before she’d finally break through in a big way. The Greek player would go on to reach the last four at the WTA 1000 in Miami, before using the experience as a springboard to reach her first Grand Slam semifinals in Roland Garros and the US Open. Sakkari finished the year by making her WTA Finals debut in Guadalajara, where she also reached the last four.
“I'm just enjoying my time being one of the best players in the world,” Sakkari said of her rapid rise. “And it's a dream coming true, because I didn't break through when I was 17 or 18. I broke through last year. So for me, it was something that I expected, but at the same time, it was not coming for a long time.
“But then it came and I'm the happiest person in the world.”
Sakkari will take on Daria Saville of Australia next, after the qualifier overcame No. 20 seed Elise Mertens 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 in the third round.
