Stunning run of the 16-year-old Donna Vekic in Tashkent Open 2012 – Tennis News
World number 183, Donna Vekic, will definitely rise multiple places in the new edition of the world rankings issued by the Women Tennis Association on Monday courtesy a breakthrough run at the Tashkent Open; making it to the finals of the tournament all the way from the qualifying stages.
The Croatian kid commenced the qualifying battle against the Ukrainian professional, Nadiya Kichenok, and won the match in straight sets. She defeated Alexandra Artamonova and Monica Puig in the following matches to reach the main round of the tournament. It was a classic performance from the Croatian teenager.
However, the cameo didn’t end there and she outsmarted the fourth seed Slovak star, Magdalena Rybarikova, in the first round; winning the match in straight sets. She was up against the 20-year-old Spanish professional, Lara Arruabarrena-Vecino, in the second round battle. Nothing could stop the youngster as she scuttled past the Spaniard in straight sets to make into the last eight of the tournament.
On the eve of Thursday, the 16-year-old kid locked horns with the sixth seed Serb star, Bojana Jovanovski, in the quarter-final of the tournament. To everyone’s surprise, she defeated her with no problem at all; clinching the triumph in straight sets and marching on into the semi-finals of the tournament.
After her quarter-final triumph, Vekic talked to the media reporters and expressed her delight in following manner, “Reaching the semi-finals at a WTA tour event has not sunk in yet. I went into the match with a lot of confidence. I went for every ball and am happy to have won against a Top 100 player for three days in a row now."
She further added, “I stopped playing juniors after I lost in the junior quarterfinals at Wimbledon. I decided that my junior tennis was over and decided to concentrate on the senior circuit. It is totally a different ballgame, but I have adjusted and feel comfortable on this level.”
Vekic was scheduled to meet the likes of the Czech professional, Eva Birnerova, in the semi-final of the tournament on Friday. She won the opening set, lost the second but registered a bagel to round off a terrific run of play and book a spot in the grand finale of the tournament.
On the other hand will be the Romanian 22-year-old starlet, Irina Camelia-Begu, who is also having a stunning run on this tour; the recent victim being the second seed Pole star, Urszula Radwanska. So, an epic final battle between the two underdogs of the tournament is expected on Saturday.
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