Tennis

Maria Tritou builds on foreign experience to improve as singles player

Zach Barlow | Asst. Photo Editor

Maria Tritou (left) used to play her matches in Holland alone, without anyone there to watch. Now she plays in front of her team, coaches and fans.

Maria Tritou ran to the right corner of the court and set her feet. Her right hand gripped the racket ever so tightly. Her left hand was held out as if she was ready to strike a Heisman pose. She reached back and swung with force, hitting the ball past her opponent.

A few plays later, a long rally ensued in which Tritou added a mixture of forehands and backhands before her opponent hit the ball out of bounds.

“Point!” Tritou yelled out, as she began to walk to the center of the court to shake hands with her opponent. Another point. Another game. Another win in singles.

Tritou’s game has strengthened over the past few years, and it’s culminated in a 9-8 singles record as a freshman at Syracuse this season. When she was 15, Tritou moved from Greece to Holland. She was alone, leaving her family back home with one goal: to improve her tennis game and compete at a top level.

“On my island, Rhodes, nobody else plays tennis,” Tritou said. “So if I wanted to play at a high level, I had to go away and play tennis or stay home, study and just try to get into a university.”



The 6-foot freshman has seen improvements in her game with her ground strokes. Her backhand has become more of a power move, which she attributed to her strength from practicing often and hard.

That, mixed with her height, has made her tough competition for opponents. Tritou is often slated at No. 4 singles. Though she is 8-8 there (and 1-0 in No. 3 singles), she has rarely been easily defeated. Most sets are dragged out and long.

“I am playing stronger,” Tritou said. “I feel much better in my physical condition.”

The one thing that Tritou cites as a piece of her game that remains unchanged is her style, saying, “In tennis, you learn how to play and then practice other things.”

 

3216_S_MariaTritou_ZachBarlow_APE_Web

Zach Barlow | Asst. Photo Editor

 

Tritou left everything behind when moving to Holland. Because of her decision to move, she went to all her matches alone. No coach. No family on the sideline rooting her on. Just her, her tennis bag and her racket.

“The only thing I was doing was practice,” she said. “I’m really glad my parents actually let me to do that.”

Tritou now dons an orange and white outfit on a college team. During her games, there are seven teammates, three coaches and fans on the sidelines rooting her on. She does not have to face each match alone like she used to. She finally has a team to rely on, rather than being independent.

“Living by yourself at 15 years old isn’t easy,” Tritou said. “(Living away from family) had some ups and downs, but at the end, it’s all worth it.”





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