By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Thursday March 14, 2024
Indian Wells – With new coach David Witt in her field, Maria Sakkari is making an attempt to ring within the new, whereas concurrently turning again the clock.
The Greek desires to play the kind of tennis she was enjoying when she reached No.3 on the earth (and reached the BNP Paribas Open remaining) a number of years in the past, and she or he’s headed in the fitting route this week at Indian Wells, the place she reached the semifinals for the third consecutive yr.
“I’m really buying into the new – not the new, because we haven’t really done any changes, but just trying to play the way I played two years ago when I had a very good run, just going to the net and being aggressive and just going after my serve,” Sakkari told reporters this week in the BNP Paribas Open press room.
“Just being brave, basically. Not playing to lose; playing to win. It has really helped me this week.”
Sakkari has received three three-setters at Indian Wells this week, defeating No.23 seed Emma Navarro within the newest, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4, to set a semifinal with Coco Gauff on Friday in Southern California.
PERFECT 🔟 @mariasakkari fights previous Navarro 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 in a late night time battle and reaches her tenth WTA 1000 semifinal!
#TennisParadise pic.twitter.com/h3hJr1UgMi
— wta (@WTA) March 15, 2024
Whatever Witt is doing as her new coach, Sakkari feels it’s working. They are at a event collectively for the primary time and she or he informed reporters she is having fun with his relaxed vibe.
He’s simply very relaxed and really laid again,” Sakkari says of the person who previously coached Venus Williams and Jessica Pegula. “That’s what I need, because I’m very hard on myself. So I just need someone that, you know, he doesn’t stress me, and that’s what David does really well. Obviously has, you know, an incredible experience on the tennis side.
“On the mental side, I just feel like he’s just very, very relaxed. That’s what I really like. As I said, he’s so funny that I just enjoy my time with him on and off the court. He’s bonding really well with the rest of the team, which is a very important thing, because we spend a lot of time with each other. You know, we created a very nice team the last few days.”
Maria Sakkari survives Emma Navarro with a 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 win in virtually three hours to succeed in the semifinals in Indian Wells for the third consecutive yr.
Runner up in 2022
Semifinalist in 2023
Semifinalist* in 2024ninth WTA 1000 SF
Good begin with David Witt. pic.twitter.com/Ne28zUOmAh
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) March 15, 2024
The 28-year-old Greek, at present No.9 on the earth, nonetheless has a shot to recapture her former glory – and she or he believes she will be able to.
“I want to improve,” Sakkari stated. “I got to No. 3 and I just feel like I can get better. There are a couple of girls that have made an extra step in their careers, and I just want to try and catch them. “By working with David, I feel like I can do that. I just feel like I have the athletic abilities. Mentally I can improve, of course, and tennis-wise, it’s not like I need to change my game. It’s just that I need to add a couple of things.”
Asked if she felt her sport has been stagnant over the previous couple of years, Sakkari replied:
“A little bit, I would say. Not blaming anyone, of course, blaming only myself,” she stated. “I just feel like just trying, you know, new things and trying to, you know, be better and improve, you know. I really believe I have a good chance on just getting back to that level and giving myself the best chance to become, you know, one of the best players again.
“Not that top 10 is a bad thing, but, you know, just better than that.”
Content Source: www.tennisnow.com