Maria Sakkari will be in the quarter-finals of Indian Wells for another year!
The Greek tennis player presented two faces in the match, but managed and with a bit of luck in the end to overcome Diane Parry 2-1 in sets (6-2, 3-6, 6-3) and qualify for the third year in a row to the quarter-finals of the event, where Emma Navarro awaits her.
Third consecutive quarterfinal at Indian Wells ☘️@mariasakkari rallies from a break down in the third to defeat Parry 6-2, 3-6, 6-3!#TennisParadise pic.twitter.com/7wpNF5ZMzR
— wta (@WTA) March 14, 2024
It was a match in which both featured too many unforced errors (37-34 for Parry) and very poor serving percentages (44.4% for the Frenchwoman, 47.6% for Sakkari), but Maria managed to overcome the fact that her back was against the wall in the third set (she was losing 5-3) and with a crucial break (with the net playing a decisive role in the decisive point) she managed to turn the set around and qualify.
Sakkari also had 3 aces in the match along with 21 winners (her opponent had 13 winners).
The match
Parry took the first game mainly due to Sakkari’s missed shots as she tried to press at the baseline.
1-1 came easily for Maria, who saw her opponent make an easy unforced error in the final game, but she gave the next game to the Frenchwoman with an unforced of her own to maintain the lead.
A love game made it 2-2 from Sakkari and immediately the first break of the match came.
Maria went on big rallies, Parry on new errors and 4-2 became easy.
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Immediately afterwards, the French player found three break points, but in short order, Sakkari erased the chances she had and reached 4-2 and with another break (which came thanks to her patience and her stability in big rallies), she went to serve for the set, which she closed with a love game after 42 minutes of play.
In the second set, with two love games, Parry had the lead (2-1) and then 3-2, where Maria gave her a hard time in the 5th game, but found a way out and the French player held her serve.
The power and the ANGLE 🤌@mariasakkari | #TennisParadise pic.twitter.com/eE7Af2LIyj
— wta (@WTA) March 13, 2024
As if that wasn’t enough, a very bad game by Sakkari gave her a 4-2 lead and the serve in her hands.
Soon after, it was 5-2 with Parrys’ 4th love game of the second set, with the French player having won 10 consecutive points over Maria.
Sakkari closed to 5-3 with a love game, but Parry finished her excellent game with 32-20 points in her favour.
With Maria leading 2-1, she started the third set, but at 2-2 she made two errors that hurt her after giving Parrya 3-2 lead and the serve on her side.
The response was immediate though.
A double fault on Parrys’ serve gave Sakkari the opportunity she was looking for and a tremendous cross-court pass tied the match at 3-3, only to be followed by a successful service game that put her back in the lead (4-3).
Luck determined the rest of the match.
Coming in clutch 👊@mariasakkari | #TennisParadise pic.twitter.com/L75CHyQUM1
— wta (@WTA) March 14, 2024
On a double break point, Maria saw the ball on a double break point hit the net tape and end up… agonizingly on Parry’ side, to make it 5-3.
She didn’t let that opportunity go to waste and her serve booked her place in the quarter-finals after she erased a break point from a tragic error by the French player.
