US OPEN

September 7, 2021

Maria Sakkari

Press Conference

M. SAKKARI/B. Andreescu

6-7, 7-6, 6-3

MARIA SAKKARI: Sorry for keeping you late. I really tried not to keep you that late, but I failed (laughter).

THE MODERATOR: Can you just talk us through that match.

MARIA SAKKARI: Sure. What can I say? I mean, it was an incredible match. I didn't have the control of the match until middle of the second set. I felt like she was better than me, but then somehow I digged in and found a way to just turn things around.

As I mentioned on court, I was more brave after a certain point of the match, then got my energy level a little bit higher.

I just want to -- sorry.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What is it like facing her?

MARIA SAKKARI: As I said on court, I told Tom and my team before the match that I'm prepared for 7-6 in the third. Seriously, I never thought that with Bianca it would be like 6-4, 6-1 unless I played lights out tennis, hit winners left and right. But because she fights every single point, I knew that it was going to be a very tough match.

Of course, when you see your opponent getting injured, you have to try and stay focused because you know really well that if you look on the other side of the net, you see that someone is hurt, you can get very stressed. You don't know what you have to do, make balls, make them run. It's complicated.

I stayed focused on myself and did simple things. I didn't complicate my tennis on the third set. I think that's why I got the win at the end.

Q. You said middle of the second set something shifted. Can you elaborate on that?

MARIA SAKKARI: I think in the first set especially I was not going for my shots like I normally do. I was a little bit, you know, not very confident with my groundstrokes. I said, Maria, if you want to win this match, you have to go for it. It's better if you go for it and miss than just make balls, she hits winners.

I just tried to be more brave with my groundstrokes. My serve was good throughout the whole match. I just wanted to be more brave, and that's what I did.

Q. 6-All in the tiebreak she climbed back and hit the shot that I don't think anybody actually believed it was in. What are you telling yourself after that?

MARIA SAKKARI: I'm deadly honest, she was luckier than me in some parts of the match. She had many net calls, line calls as well. But I just said you cannot lose the match because you're unlucky. Just try.

I don't know what was going on (smiling). I really don't know. I'm trying to be calm, not lose my mind. I want to live this experience, this tennis experience, until I'm done. I don't want to look back and say that I did not enjoy matches like today.

I mean, there was a decent crowd staying until 2:30 at night. I said, Maria, you cannot give up. Just stay focused and stay calm and just make balls.

Q. When you're talking about bravery, is that something in the past was a thought that didn't enter into your mind or didn't work? Is that something newer for you?

MARIA SAKKARI: It's something that I've been working with Tom since end of last year. But I felt like I lost that bravery after the French. I was more hesitant. I was not going for it so much.

After my loss with Angie, I just practiced for two weeks. I had some very tough practices where I was crying because I could not feel my shots, I could not feel my tennis. But thankfully I had Tom and Yannis, my hitting partner, that supported me a lot.

I lost my identity. That's how I called it. I lost myself, part of myself. With my psychologist, as well, I found a way to come back and feel again what I felt out there today.

By telling myself to be more brave, it's not like, Maria, now be brave, and you're brave. It's just a process in practice and everything that has helped me to be more brave.

Q. Have you ever held a tennis racquet and played points at 2:30 in the morning before?

MARIA SAKKARI: Oh, no. I actually think I have a very bad record with night matches. When I found out yesterday I'm playing night, I was not happy at all because I'm an early morning person. I still haven't figured out how I have to plan my day.

But Tom was like, before the match, I'm giving you my word that after this match, you'll change your mind from night matches, and he's right.

Now, well, I can say that it happened, that I played tennis at 2:30 in the morning.

Q. How are you going to turn it around and spend tomorrow preparing for Wednesday's match?

MARIA SAKKARI: I have no idea. I normally struggle to sleep after matches, especially when I finish late. I have to find a way to sleep right now. Not now, but in two, three hours probably. I need to get some treatment. I'm probably going to practice late on tomorrow. Hopefully I'm not playing first match on, when is it, Wednesday, right?

Even if that's the case, I'll try to be ready. I trust my athleticism and my physicality. I think I'll be ready for that if I plan my day tomorrow well.

Q. (Question about the atmosphere.)

MARIA SAKKARI: It was amazing. There were a few Greeks, as well, which was very nice. I always feel very nice when I hear Greek from the crowd.

But also the Americans, I mean, they treated me so well. It's actually very nice of them that they stayed until that late. It wasn't a lot of people, but they have to work tomorrow so it's normal.

I'm just very grateful that from last year I was playing with Serena on Ashe, it was just Tom and Patrick and her team. It's now back to reality, almost back to reality. You can actually enjoy real tennis again.

Q. You play Karolina. Talk about how different it will be facing her on a hard court.

MARIA SAKKARI: I watched her match. Remind who she played second round.

Q. Anisimova.

MARIA SAKKARI: Tough match. She served lights out. She was serving very well.

We practiced actually before the tournament started. She's a very funny girl. We have a great relationship even though some people think that after what happened we don't. Actually we do.

I mean, she has played final here. She has some experience, more experience than me. But I'm just going to stick to what I'm doing best, try to return as good as I can, because that's I think the most important thing against Karolina. Just keep fighting, that's it. That can take you far.