Sakkari before facing Paolini in Madrid: "I feel like my game is back on track"
Having dropped to No. 82 in the world rankings, Maria Sakkari, a former world No. 3, is regaining her form at the start of the WTA 1000 tournament in Madrid. After an opening win against Wang Xinyu (6-4, 7-6), the Greek player confirmed her momentum by defeating Magda Linette (7-6, 6-3).
She now faces a third-round clash against world No. 6 Jasmine Paolini. In any case, Sakkari seems to be regaining confidence in her tennis, as she explained after her victory over the Pole.
"I keep telling the people around me that I’m happier today, even though I’m ranked 82nd in the world, than I was when I was No. 3. I feel like those months away at the end of last year allowed me to work on myself.
I’ve learned not to worry about other players being in Asia or playing finals while I’m not there. I’m just really happy to be back on tour. And that’s going to give me a lot of strength for the coming years.
I feel like my game is back on track. Obviously, if I want to beat players like Jasmine (Paolini), no matter the round, I have to play like I did today (against Linette), or even better.
I know how they feel when they face me because I’ve been there. I might have a big number next to my name, but I know they respect me as a player. So it’s going to be tough for both sides," Sakkari told *Tennis Up To Date*.
Madrid 
