UNITED CUP

January 5, 2023

Petros Tsitsipas

Stefanos Tsitsipas

Maria Sakkari

Despina Papamichail

Michail Pervolarakis

Valentini Grammatikopoulou

Stefanos Sakellaridis

Sapfo Sakellaridi

Team Greece

Press Conference

Team Greece - 3

Team Croatia - 2

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations to Team Greece to being the Perth city winner, and will head to Sydney for the semifinals starting Friday. Congratulations to Team Greece. Why don't we start with everyone speaking your thoughts, starting from the captain.

CAPTAIN PETROS TSITSIPAS: Well, first of all, I would like to express how sad I am that this is our last press conference here in Perth, because we love every single one.

But, no, our feelings right now are feelings of happiness and joy and excitement for what's to follow in Sydney. Obviously we achieved our first goal here in Perth, and that's the most important thing. Yeah, I'm just excited to keep this going, this flow with the team.

Yeah, I don't want to add anything else. It's an amazing journey.

MARIA SAKKARI: Yeah, well, it's been an incredible week here. I think what we witnessed today is gonna stay with us forever. Regardless how it goes, you know, if we win or if, you know, things don't go well, I think today's night was incredible. But I believe in this team, so I think we are going to have more nights like that and like this one.

So, yeah, let's keep rolling, guys.

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Let me share how nice this feeling is. Then I would just like to thank the team for being believers, being "the" believers of this thing that we have created so far. Our team consists of belief, of desire, and patience. I think that's what defines us the best. We are not rushing. We take our time. We execute our game plan individually but collectively at the same time as a team.

We are strong individuals, each and every one of us, that has the capacity to provide to the team. I'm just happy with tonight's performance. I'm happy with what we have shown so far. I can't wait for more in the next couple of days.

DESPINA PAPAMICHAIL: Yeah, I'm very happy as well. I mean, for me and for the whole country, Stefanos and Maria are great idols and examples, and I would like to congratulate them. They have been undefeated. I mean, of course the whole team, everybody played their part, and we were unique. We were supporting. We were playing and fighting and we had a really good connection. I think that helped us.

Yeah, we will be going to Sydney, and we want to go for more. Yeah, pretty happy right now. Tomorrow already thinking of Sydney.

MICHAIL PERVOLARAKIS: Yeah. Like Despina said, I think we are all really excited for what's to come with this team. Obviously amazing results here in Perth, and I think we are all looking forward to, you know, continuing this momentum and continuing our performance in Sydney.

VALENTINI GRAMMATIKOPOULOU: I will agree with everything what's my players said in our team. I'm so proud of Stef and Maria and the other players who played. It's just unbelievable level. You can learn so much from them. That's why our team probably is the best here, because we are united and we are ready for Sydney.

STEFANOS SAKELLARIDIS: I have expressed before how proud I am about this team, how amazing it is. Also our captain is absolutely legendary. No, I mean, it. He's amazing captain, and we are all very excited to be going into Sydney. We will try our best there as well.

SAPFO SAKELLARIDI: Yeah, we are very excited, all of us. It's really nice, because I think every match we perform really well and really good fights from everyone.

I think like the girls, we had all of us really good connection, so that's really good for us. I hope we do the same in Sydney.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Congrats. Captain, will you allow a small celebration tonight or are you going to keep your team fully focused on the weekend?

CAPTAIN PETROS TSITSIPAS: No celebrations until we lift the trophy. (Applause.)

Q. Stefanos, could I ask you about the singles match earlier, when you were 1-4 down in that third set, do you think your recent experiences against Coric helped you in that situation? Were you thinking about what you did then, and therefore, did something differently or did it not play a role?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Look, I felt this sort of different type of responsibility, being down in that sort of fashion that I went down.

I sort of woke up at some point and gave myself a chance to fight again. I was playing out there for the team. I didn't want to let my team down. I knew that was a great opportunity for us to take a big lead.

It might have been a point that people see, okay, you take a point, but it's much bigger than that, at least that's how it was in my head. I kept fighting, kept trying to find solutions, trying to somehow come up with something that works.

My fighting spirit was lit up. I was there. I was using my footwork very well. I was precise, and that gave me the win. That was of course very important, realizing it now.

I'd like to kind of leave it behind, because of course it was a great moment to get that win for Greece but even better to finish it off with this, in my opinion.

Q. You take on Matteo Berrettini next. Another obviously big server with a big forehand out. How do you approach that match?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: My time has sort of begun now, that's how it starts. My mind is there. I'm getting warmed up inside my head, getting ready for the next battle that I will have to be faced with in Sydney.

Q. Maria, you've served amazingly this week, in singles and doubles. Is that something specific you worked on in the offseason? Is it something you improved, you feel?

MARIA SAKKARI: Yeah, I think that I started off the tournament with maybe not serving that great. But I believe and I think that, you know, today was the best day, especially in doubles. I feel like I really helped Stef, you know, with me serving well. I made his life a lot easier, which was my goal, and, you know...

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Returning as well.

MARIA SAKKARI: Yeah, I spent a lot of hours serving this preseason, and it's something that I feel I can still develop and I think there is still room for improvement, which is a good thing.

Q. Looking ahead to your match, which will be against Trevisan, you lost your only previous meeting. Do you remember anything about that match specifically? Anything that you think you can do differently this time?

MARIA SAKKARI: I remember that I had a match point and my bracelet fell off my hand. Yeah, when that happened, I was, like, Oh, shit, that's not good.

Yeah, it was a very, like, ugly match, let's say, from my side, but obviously she has had great results on the clay.

But, you know, I feel like I'm in good form, and I will fight for it like I do every single match.