With Greek supporters serenading her throughout the warm-up of her second-round match at Australian Open 2022, how could Maria Sakkari lose?
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Sakkari's performances last year suggest that winning a maiden Grand Slam title in front of those fans at Melbourne Park is a possibility. For the time being, the fifth seed moved closer to the second week by dismissing the promising, yet inexperienced Zheng Qinwen 6-1 6-4 despite a late scare at Margaret Court Arena on Wednesday night.
"It's actually my home tournament," Sakkari said in her on-court interview.
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"I know it sounds weird saying that, but I don't have a tournament back home. It feels like I'm at home back here. We all know that Melbourne has a very large Greek community and I'm very pleased and grateful to have them behind me."
It was a mostly different outing for Sakkari compared to her opener, a tight two-set victory over mum Tatjana Maria on Monday in which she "didn't feel great."
The German's varied game, coupled with it being a first round at a Grand Slam — where nerves can appear for even higher seeds and conditions take some getting used to — made matters tricky.
Sakkari is also in the new position of having to back up such an impressive campaign, reaching two Grand Slam semifinals and landing a spot at the year-end championships in 2021.
But it's so far, so good for the 26-year-old from Athens.
"It felt much better than last match," she said.
"I feel like as long as I give myself a lot of chances in this tournament I can start playing better and better every match."
When one thinks of Chinese players at the Australian Open, maybe the most notable name is Li Na.
After all, the bubbly Li bagged the title in 2014 after falling twice at the final hurdle.
Zheng, 19, forms part of a young Chinese trio making progress, joining Wang Xinyu and Wang Xiyu, both 20. Like the latter pair, Zheng flourished in the juniors, achieving a pair of Grand Slam semifinals in 2019.
Her build-up to a first appearance at a Grand Slam at senior level caught the eye, thumping her way to the semifinals at Melbourne Summer Set earlier in January as a qualifier.
And in the first round at AO 22, the world No.108 upset Melbourne Summer Set finalist Aliaksandra Sasnovich, despite a break deficit in the third.
Zheng's significant baseline weapons drew applause from even the pro-Sakkari crowd, but unsurprisingly for such a newcomer, consistency lacked. An issue with her left foot might have contributed, too.
Zheng started an eventful first game with an ace. Of the 16 points, she hit three winners, forced five errors but also committed four unforced errors. It was on her racquet.
After Sakkari held from 30-all for 1-1, she took control. Two love holds sandwiched around a more complicated game gave Sakkari the set.
Zheng took a medical timeout at the end of the first, allowing Sakkari's supporters to make themselves heard further.
Sakkari needed to maintain her intensity and did so at 4-2, 15-30, ripping a backhand crosscourt that elicited a fist pump.
Up against it, Zheng stepped it up even more, her lasers giving her a break point at 3-5 — and converting — after saving three match points.
"She has a very bright future," said Sakkari.
Back on serve and with a game point, Sakkari responded by taking the last three points.
Zheng's Australian summer should see her move inside the top 100 for the first time — her goal this season is to crack the top 300 — while Sakkari can began to ponder her third-round clash with 28th seed Veronika Kudermetova.
And so can her enthusiastic fans.