Maria Sakkari meets Gigi Buffon: anecdote pops up

“When I practice volleys, my coach tells me not to let anything pass, like Gigi Buffon.”

Engaged in the WTA 250 tournament in Parma, where on Tuesday she won her round of 16 match in three sets against Ukraine’s Koziova, Maria Sakkari, the world No. 7 Greek tennis player, met with Gigi Buffon in Collecchio, home of Parma Calcio.

The Hellenic player told how the figure of the former Juventus goalkeeper is often ‘present’ in her training sessions. In the form of reminders from her coach, Tom Hill, who often repeats to her, during volley drills, “not to let anything pass, like Gigi Buffon.”

The two athletes exchanged gifts on the sidelines of their meeting. The tennis player gave the extreme defender her racket, while Buffon reciprocated with his autographed game shirt. “I like women’s tennis, but also men’s tennis of course,” said the 44-year-old. “Every now and then I play, I’d like to do serve and volley. The secret of my longevity? I am always happy, I enjoy the moments when I play and the moments with my family,” he concluded.