Vincent Van GenechtenSource: BELGIAN
Yesterday at 08:11
The 28-year-old Zanevska defeated the Slovenian Kaja Juvan (WTA 86) in the opening round on Monday and thus qualified for the second round of a grand slam tournament for the first time.
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“I made the decision not to play ten minutes before my match,” a disappointed Zanevska said at her press conference. “I was able to finish my match against Juvan on Monday on adrenaline and emotion, but the left calf had already been hit. Actually I don’t know how I managed to get that party over the line. Afterwards I had a lot of trouble walking. I knew it was going to be difficult for the second round. Unfortunately, the recovery period was too short.”
“This morning I was still optimistic,” she continued. “I did some test moves and it worked. But when I tried to warm up, I immediately noticed that it was not possible. I couldn’t walk. It’s a shame, but that’s the way it is.”
“It’s tough to leave the tournament like this,” she finished. “But I will leave with many good memories. I was able to play a total of three matches during this Australian tour. I got the chance to play in the Rod Laver Arena (in her second round match against Naomi Osaka in the Melbourne Summer Set tournament, ed.). That was a nice experience. I also collected some points and prize money (65,000 euros for her victory in the first round of the Australian Open, ed.). It’s not a bad start to the year. There are many more tournaments to come. Normally I have to double tomorrow and I’m going to try that.” Zanevska’s next tournament will be the WTA 500 tournament in Dubai, which starts on February 14.
The Belgian with Ukrainian roots normally also plays in women’s doubles in Melbourne. Alongside the German Julia Lohoff, she will meet Kirsten Flipkens and the Spanish Sara Sorribes Tormo in the first round on Thursday.
© BELGIAN
Van Uytvanck loses her second round in Melbourne
Alison Van Uytvanck (WTA 55) failed to reach the third round at the Australian Open on Wednesday. The Grimbergse lost in her second game after two hours and fifteen minutes of tennis in three sets (2-6, 7-6 (7/5) and 6-3) to the Chinese Qiang Wang (WTA 110).
It was their third game against each other. In 2018 in Rome, Van Uytvanck showed himself the best, a year later at the US Open, the Chinese pulled the longest.
27-year-old Van Uytvanck takes part in the Australian Open for the eighth time. She never reached the third round in Melbourne.
In the first round she had taken the measure of the Spanish qualifier Cristina Bucsa (WTA 154) in two sets (6-3 and 6-4). Her preparation was complicated by knee pain.
Wang’s next opponent will be American Madison Keys (WTA 51), who settled in two sets (6-2 and 7-5) in her second round with Romanian Jaqueline Cristian (WTA 69). Cristian eliminated Greet Minnen (WTA 84) in the first round.
Van Uytvanck also plays ‘down under’ in doubles. Alongside the Danish Clara Tauson, she will meet the Polish Magda Linette and the American Bernarda Pera in the first round.
“At one point I was two points off the win,” she sighed afterwards. “This was a great opportunity to make it to the third round for the first time. That drop shot at 5-5 in the tiebreak of the second set costs me dearly. In the third set Wang started to play better and things got difficult. It’s frustrating.”
“My knee still hurts,” explained Van Uytvanck. “I will be examined when I return to Belgium. My next tournament will normally be Saint Petersburg. My game level is there, as is the setting. My match against Anisimova (during the Summer Set tournament, ed.) was good, it wasn’t bad today against Wang either. I have to hold on to that and move on. A nice lens for 2022 is the top 30, but I’m going to start with the top 50 first.”
© ISOPIX
Minen pushes through in doubles
Greet Minnen has qualified for the second round of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open in Melbourne on Wednesday. On the side of the Australian Ellen Perez, Minnen won 6-3 and 6-1 against the Australian tandem Jaime Fourlis and Maddison Inglis, who received a wildcard from the organizers.
In the second round, Minnen and Perez play against Chilean Alexa Guarachi and American Nicole Melichar-Martinez (the fifth seed) or Thai Peangtarn Plipuech and Indonesian Aldila Sutjiadi.
In the singles tournament, Minnen (WTA 84) was killed in the first round against Romanian Jaqueline Cristian (WTA 69) on Monday.
Zimmermann goes straight out in the doubles
Kimberley Zimmermann was unable to qualify for the second round of the doubles at the Australian Open on Wednesday, alongside Slovakian Anna Karolina Schmiedlova.
Zimmermann and Schmiedlova, who were caught as a lucky loser for the doubles tournament, lost after 56 minutes of tennis in two sets (6-3 and 6-2) against the American Caroline Dolehide and the Australian Storm Sanders, together in ninth seed.
Later this week, Elise Mertens, Alison Van Uytvanck, Kirsten Flipkens and Maryna Zanevska will also play in the women’s doubles. In the men’s race, Sander Gillé and Joran Vliegen participate as a duo.
Flipkens forms a duo with Gillé
Kirsten Flipkens and Sander Gillé form a duo in the mixed doubles at the Australian Open. Joran Vliegen also plays mixed doubles in Melbourne, alongside Slovenian Andreja Klepac.
The 36-year-old Flipkens and the 31-year-old Gillé will compete in the first round against the French Kristina Mladenovic and the Croatian Ivan Dodig, together the fifth seed.
Flipkens is in her 34th grand slam tournament in Australia. She will participate in the Australian Open for the fourteenth, and possibly last, time. In the singles, she lost in the first round to the Spanish Sara Sorribes Tormo on Monday. The same Sorribes Tormo is her partner in the women’s doubles, in which she will play from Thursday.
Fly and Klepac will face the Chinese Shuai Zhang and the Australian John Peers in their first round, together in the second seed.
Gillé and Vliegen form a duo in the men’s doubles as usual.
