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Mayar Sharif became the first Egyptian to win a major round match in a Grand Slam tennis tournament, beating France’s Chloe Paquet in the first round of the Australian Open on Tuesday.
The 24-year-old, currently ranked 131st in the world, beat the 187th Pack, 7-5, 7-5 in Melbourne.
Sharif expressed his great happiness with his first Grand Slam victory, after losing to Czech Karolina Pliskova by three sets, at Roland Garros last year.
“It means a lot because I finally got over a barrier that I had to go through, one myself,” Mayar said.
Mayar Sharif had received moral support from his compatriot, Liverpool Football Club player Mohamed Salah.
After winning one of the important matches, Mohamed Salah shared the news of his victory via his Twitter account, and commented on the applause via a digital photo.
Next time around, Sharif will meet Slovenia’s Kaja Jovan, who won after Britain’s 13th seed Joanna Conta retired due to injury.
“Honestly, it wasn’t easy to get started,” Mayar said. “My second major Grand Slam game, my first on hard ground, and the conditions are not easy.”
She added that it was very difficult for her to manage the pitch, the weather and the control of the ball.
Historic victory
The last Egyptian to win a singles match in a Grand Slam tournament was Ismail El Shafei, who reached the fourth round of the US Open in 1974.
“I feel a lot of support from the Egyptian people, my partners and sponsors. It’s a wonderful thing, and frankly it only pushes me forward and forward, because I feel there is a lot of people behind me, ”Mayar said.
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