“No one likes to get chopped,” Maria Sakkari breaks down on the court after a horror start to her 2023 WTA Finals campaign as Aryna Sabalenka does a demolition job

Maria Sakkari talks about her breakdown on court.

“No one likes to get chopped,” Maria Sakkari breaks down on the court after a horror start to her 2023 WTA Finals campaign as Aryna Sabalenka does a demolition job

Maria Sakkari (Credits: Tennis365)

Maria Sakkari cried on the court following a disastrous start to her 2023 WTA Finals campaign. She lost 6-1, 6-0 in 74 minutes against Aryna Sabalenka.

The world no.1 absolutely outplayed the world no.9, winning the first set in 37 minutes and handing Sakkari her first 6-0 defeat of the season. The Greek couldn’t break the Belarusian’s serve even once during the whole match. On the other hand, Sakkari could save only 4 break points out of a total of 9 break points.

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Throughout the match, the 28-year-old player was extremely upset, and she burst into tears after the match. Despite her best efforts, she was unable to overcome Sabalenka’s powerful serve and aggressive groundstrokes.

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Sakkari discussed her troubles on the court after the match. She couldn’t process what happened and was rendered speechless for some time. She admitted that she wasn’t playing her best and was not feeling confident on the court. The 8th seed tried to downplay what happened and said that it was just one of those days where everything went wrong.

I don’t have much to say. I think it was pretty obvious I wasn’t feeling my game and wasn’t feeling comfortable out there. Just a very, very bad day at the office. I just don’t think that I’m the first or the last person that has felt this way on the court or has cried on the court. It’s not nice. But no one likes to get chopped on the court.

Speaking about her breakdown, she said that it is a common experience for athletes. It is not that she enjoys it, but it is a natural reaction, as she was feeling overwhelmed and frustrated.

Maria Sakkari to face Jessica Pegula in her next match

After a devastating defeat against Sabalenka, Sakkari will face Jessica Pegula in her next match at the WTA Finals round robin. This will be the duo’s 10th meeting. They have met 9 times before with Sakkari prevailing with a 5-4 win-loss record in head-to-head.

Maria Sakkari
Maria Sakkari (Credits: Tennisnet.com)

Pegula is a very good defensive player and is very good at moving her opponent around the court. Additionally, Pegula has been serving very well in recent months. Apart from her abysmal performance against Sabalenka, Sakkari has been playing very consistently. She has a powerful serve and is a more aggressive player.

This could be a chance to redeem herself. The match is expected to be a close one, as both players have maintained good form over the year.

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