Maria Sakkari beats Naomi Oksaka and advances to Cincinnati second round

Sakkari saves three set points in the second set TB to oust Osaka, her fifth Top 20 win of 2018. #CincyTennis

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On a cloudy, but very hot, day in Cincinnati, Maria Sakkari and Naomi Osaka met on the Grandstand court for an hour and fifty-minute backhand blitz, from which Sakkari emerged the victor. Both women are big hitters, and both have (perhaps not "typical" of big hitters) athletic flexibility. The latter was put to good use, as both players kept the ball as low as they could (and yes, a lot of balls went into the net).

Not surprisingly, both hit more unforced errors than winners. The difference, though not great, lie in both offense and defense. Sakkari wound up with an impressive first and second serve win ratio of 80/69. And she saved the only two break points against her in the match (Osaka saved seven of nine).

Sakkari won the first set 6-3. Osaka's serve, especially her second serve, improved in the second set, and there were some close calls for her opponent as Osaka forced break points. The set went to a tiebreak, in which Sakkari saved three set points and won the tiebreak 10-8.

After the match, Sakkari said she thought she'd played a great match and that she'd served really well, especially when Osaka had set points. Asked to consider how her belief in herself had changed, she reflected on how having played the same top players more than once has helped her, and she has improved in her consistency.

Sakkari said that her lack of height and big power has caused her to use every tactic she can to win matches. "My goal," she said "is to become a very solid player." She named Kim Clijsters as the player she most admired when she was growing up.

Sakkari said that working with Thomas Johannson has helped her, partly because "he inspires me." She said that they understand each other, both on and off the court, and that is what makes the relationship strong. She also said that she was very inspired by the success of her countryman, Stefanos Tsitsipas, whom she considers a role model. Sakkari said that the two of them "look after each other."

Asked to reveal some things about herself, she said "I can tell that I'm a nice person, I'm polite." She also said that if she weren't a professional tennis player, she would "for sure be an athlete, I don't know what kind of sport."

The young Greek will next face Anett Kontaviet, another young player of considerable talent. Sakkari and Kontaviet have played each other three times, twice on hard courts and once on clay. Sakkari won both of the hard court contests in straight sets.