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Maria Sakkari and Martina Trevisan entertained packed crowds at the Ken Rosewall Arena with an eye-catching display of ball striking. This performance was in the opening women's singles rubber of the Greece vs Italy United Cup tie on Friday.
The Greek came up just short against a spirited opponent, going down 3-6, 7-6(4), 5-7 in a marathon tussle. Sakkari was seen struggling against her opponent's tenacious defending. Her frustration reached a crescendo during a changeover where her bench suggested that she be more aggressive and go more for the line.
A visibly angry Sakkari can be seen yelling at her bench, saying she does not have a Playstation that she can turn to whenever she wishes to hit the line.
"F**k's sake how can I play line? You think I have a Playstation when I'm playing and I can play line? F*ck."
Trevisan's win over Sakkari gave Italy a crucial point, putting the side ahead in the scoreline. The balance of the tie shifted further with Lorenzo Musetti making it 2-0 for Italy after easing past Stefanos Sakellaridis 6-1, 6-1.
Matteo Berrettini can seal the win for his country when she steps out on court against Stefanos Tsitsipas in the second men's singles encounter on Saturday.
"I think today was different" - Martina Trevisan on playing Maria Sakkari after two years
Speaking about her win over Maria Sakkari in the post-match press conference, Martina Trevisan said the contest felt a lot different from the last time the two met. That last encounter was at the 2020 Roland Garros, when the Italian had bagged yet another tight win.
Trevisan said the surface (red clay at Paris and indoor hardcourts at Sydney) and court conditions made quite a difference.
"Yeah, the match that I play with her in Paris, you mean, right?" Martina Trevisan said. "It was too much, like two years ago, so I think today was a little bit different from Paris. Even the surface, even the court."
Trevisan said she stepped out on court "ready" for the challenge and had a lot of energy. The underdog revealed that she had hit the practice courts with countrymen Matteo Berrettini and Vincenzo Santopadre.
"But I came on court ready. I was ready to fight. I had a lot of energy," she continued. "I prepare with Matteo and Vincenzo very well [before] the match. I was ready to fight. This is the thing that I think about during all the match."
