Premiere at the age of 31: Golubic ends the dry spell in Melbourne

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At the eighth attempt, Viktorija Golubic (WTA 85) is in the second round of the Australian Open for the first time. The Swiss defeated the number 15 seed of Russia Veronika Kudermetowa 7:6 (7:4), 1:6, 6:1.

Just like in the only previous match at Wimbledon two and a half years ago, when Golubic won 11:9 in the third set after repelling a match point, the 31-year-old from Zurich and the Russian five years younger, initially fought an intense war of attrition.

Golubic wins the first set after more than an hour and thanks to a brilliant point on set point in the tiebreak, Kudermetowa resolutely takes advantage of a deficit in the second. In the third it was again the Swiss who broke to 3:1 and then again to 5:1. Then she keeps her nerves in check and doesn’t let the increasingly irritated Russian woman come any closer. After 2:22, Golubic used her first match point with a forehand winner for the much-celebrated victory.

Now against the Olympic champion

The reward is now a match on Thursday against the Czech Katerina Siniakova (27, WTA 49). It doesn’t have to stay that way. Golubic has won both of his previous matches against the doubles specialist. However, in the Olympic final, the Czech team with Barbora Krejcikova won gold against Golubic and Belinda Bencic.

The second Swiss woman in the main field will also be in action on Tuesday evening. Lulu Sun (22, WTA 193), who is at a Grand Slam table for the first time, competes with the same old Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto (WTA 66). (SDA/che)

Source : Blick