April 20, 2024

Athens News

News in English from Greece

Sakkari and Tsitsipas: how Greece enters the world tennis elite

Greece has reached the point of entry into the elite of world tennis, thanks to two young athletes who have managed to surpass themselves.

And if for Stefanos Tsitsipas reaching the semi-finals of the Grand Slam tournament is not something unprecedented, then the result of Maria Sakkari is really impressive.

The goal of the Greek athletes for the Roland Garros tournament confirms the unwritten rule of success, according to which the correct work in the technical and physical parts must go hand in hand with a clear mind and a strong determination to win.

Tsitsipas has matured

Stefanos Tsitsipas, unfortunately for his rivals, is growing up. Now he is 22 years old, and he looks at the world from his 193 cm. On Tuesday in the quarterfinals against his evil demon Danil Medvedev, he made an impression. Not only technically (there is clearly a lot of room for improvement here), but also in terms of approaching and managing the match.

We saw very often how Stefanos “went crazy” when the match “went awry.” He lost his temper, hit the ground with his racket, made peace with everyone and with himself. Against the background of the champion of Russia, Tsitsipas looked like a wall of concentration and self-discipline. All of Medvedev’s efforts hit him, and he collapsed.

The Greek athlete almost always had a ready answer to his technically difficult opponent, and this was primarily due to his explosive temperament.

Do it like Stockton

Once upon a time in the NBA, Gary Peyton was named Defender of the Year. The reporter asked him who the strongest opponent he faced, rushing to say it was probably Jordan. And Peyton said, “No, it wasn’t Jordan. I can always tease him. Sooner or later I will be able to piss off Michael, and he will lose to me. The hardest opponent for me was John Stockton. Be that as it may, but whatever I said to him during the match, I thought I was talking to the wall. I have never been able to confuse him. “

Stefanos already seems ready to rise to the level of the elite. If he maintains that attitude and improves technical aspects such as hitting the ball, winning the first Grand Slam will not be long in coming.

Sakkari in incredible shape

The same is with Maria Saccari, who is in incredible shape when playing on the courts of Paris. She has shown in doing so that her self-confidence is at a historically high level. Maria is serious, confident in her abilities and at the age of 25 she is ready for loud surprises.

The Roland Garros tournament could be the beginning of a big change in the careers of Greek athletes. No one knows if they will make it to the finals or even win the first big trophy of their career. The bottom line is that both have changed, and with them all of Greek tennis has changed.





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