Greek tennis star Maria Sakkari has had a remarkable turnaround since the US Open. She clinched her first title of the year in Guadalajara, before the start of the Asian swing. Sakkari seems intent on carrying on in that vein if her performances in China are anything to go by. However, one of the funniest interactions between the commentators was captured on camera as Sakkari took on Linda Fruhvirtova in Beijing.
Sakkari’s second-round clash with Linda went well beyond midnight. Kevin Skinner and Sophie Amiach, the two commentators, had a bit of fun by throwing out pop culture references on air. When Maria was close to sealing a victory, Amiach dropped some fun facts about the Fruhvirtova sisters.
Sophie informed Kevin, that Linda and Brenda Fruhvirtova are both fans of Taylor Swift and Harry Styles. Kevin immediately responded with a line from Swift’s hit song from the album ‘Red.’ “Fruhvirtova knew Sakkari was trouble when she walked in,” said Skinner.
this commentators interaction 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/h7xjXHJLPr
— Marty (@Svitoflopina) October 3, 2023
Unfortunately, Sophie did not understand the reference, so Kevin had to explain it to her. Skinner managed to slip in another reference, this time from Harry’s song ‘As It Was.’ “As It Was, Sakkari began with a bunch of winners and she’s continuing on in that front,” said Kevin.
The Fruhvirtova sisters wish to attend Swift’s concert one day. Linda and Brenda attended one of Harry‘s shows last year, but they really look forward to watching Taylor Swift live.
As for Maria Sakkari, she has finally hit her stride after many ups and downs this year. She lifted herself up by the bootstraps after breaking down during the press conference following her US Open exit.
Maria Sakkari vs. Linda Fruhvirtova match summary
Greek tennis player Sakkari’s form is on an upward trajectory at last. She came into the China Open on the back of her first WTA 1000 title of the year at Guadalajara Open. Sakkari’s biggest challenge in her second-round match was facing a relatively unknown player, but it did not deter her.
Maria adapted her game accordingly and won the match with relative ease. She defeated the 18-year-old Linda 6-4, 6-2 in straight sets. The match went on well past midnight, and Sakkari wrapped it up around 12:50 a.m. local time. With this win under her belt, Maria is now the first Greek player to reach the Round of 16 in Beijing.
Moonlight victory 🌕@mariasakkari becomes the first Greek player to reach the Round of 16 in Beijing after defeating Fruhvirtova 6-4, 6-2. #ChinaOpen pic.twitter.com/xwTWm19VYj
— wta (@WTA) October 3, 2023
Maria Sakkari has made it to the Round of 16 in two WTA 1000 tournaments back to back. This was her eighth win in nine matches. She will play Wang Xinyu for a spot in the quarterfinals next.
