Golubic for hammer duel with Switolina: ‘I miss Bencic on tour’

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Viktorija Golubic (31) is the last Swiss hope in Melbourne. Stan Wawrinka (38) and qualifier Lulu Sun (22) were eliminated in the first round. The injured Dominic Stricker (21) and the pregnant Belinda Bencic (26) could not participate. But Golubic is really going strong now. And of all places the world number 85 has never made it past the starting round.

Last year, the Zuricher native initially dropped to 150th place due to health problems, after which she impressively fought her way back to the top 100 in the autumn with three titles at smaller tournaments (Tokyo, Rouen, Shrewsbury). to the Australian Open so far unstoppable. Now the top match awaits on Saturday evening in the third round with the Ukrainian Elina Switolina (29), who is in 23rd place in the WTA rankings.

If the Swiss wins again, the large Rod Laver Arena and a duel with world number one Iga Swiatek (22, third round against Linda Noskova, 19) can await. But before that, she reveals what she rewarded herself with in Melbourne and why ’24/7 tennis’ is not a good idea. Golubic about…

…their good series since last fall:

“I have learned to deal better mentally with certain circumstances. I’ve had one or two things in the past year that took a physical toll on me. This is normal after so many years on tour. But now I have the confidence that everything in my body is really holding up. There is still a lot in it.”

…her role as the only remaining Swiss woman in Melbourne:

“We used to be spoiled with the great successes of Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka. It was almost normal for at least one Swiss person to be present in the second week. In addition, Belinda Bencic has also been playing her way through the Grand Slam tournaments very consistently for years. That’s why on the one hand it’s strange to be the only one at the moment. On the other hand, I want to try to keep the Swiss flag flying as long as possible. This is certainly good for Swiss tennis. But I am also convinced that in the future we will have several players who will stay in the race longer.

… the absence of her friend Belinda Bencic:

«I definitely miss her here! We – including the other Swiss girls – are in constant contact with her. Of course it’s a shame that we don’t see each other that often anymore. But I will stay informed of how she is doing. I am happy that we also have this contact outside of tennis.”

…the reward she treats herself to after success:

“I actually reward myself quite often (laughs). Because I’m just grateful that I’m doing well and that I get to experience beautiful moments. I think it is important to spend time outside the institution. This means: I consciously look for a restaurant and enjoy the food there. Or I just go into town or a local park. I think it’s important not to think about tennis 24/7. That is important so that you can be mentally ready on the field.”

…her upcoming opponent Elina Switolina, who returned from her baby break last year:

«Elina has made an impressive comeback. She came back with incredible fitness and incredible courage. You’d think she’d be even stronger than before at both. So that will be a big challenge for me. Nevertheless, I will reflect on my own strengths and try to channel these energies. I’m giving myself a good chance.”

Source : Blick