'Stunning' Aussie puts tennis world on notice

1 year ago 126

Top-ranked Australian pistillate Ajla Tomljanovic has enactment the tennis satellite connected announcement and is acceptable to interruption done for her archetypal expansive slam title.

That's the sentiment of Aussie large Wally Masur and erstwhile English nonrecreational Mark Petchey, who were successful awe of her triumph implicit Serena Williams successful the 3rd circular of the US Open.

Tomljanovic downed Williams successful 3 thrilling sets which included a suspenseful 2nd acceptable tiebreaker.

But the satellite No.46 remained coolheaded and regained the momentum to triumph 7-5, 6-7(4-7), 6-1 successful what was a monumental juncture for the assemblage astatine Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Speaking connected Stan Sport's Grand Slam Daily, Aussie tennis icon Wally Masur said Tomljanovic has what it takes to triumph connected tennis' biggest stages.

"Ajla to maine has got the crippled to spell good successful these expansive slams," helium said.

"She's got to consciousness similar she belongs, similar she's a portion of the show. And she surely showed that contiguous against Serena and I deliberation that's hugely important.

"She's got the game. She's got the physicality. She could person played different 2 sets, Ajla. She's successful her prime."

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With a rollercoaster of a second-set that saw Williams crook backmost time, Masur was astir impressed with Tomljanovic's quality to grip herself successful the large moments and rebound erstwhile faced with adversity.

"It would person been precise casual with the momentum of the assemblage to fto Serena tally distant with that 2nd set," helium said.

Serena on fire in second set

"But she pushed and she pushed and she kept Serena retired determination and made her gain that 2nd set, and that paid dividends ultimately.

"Serena hasn't had a batch of lucifer signifier [this year] and had a large three-setter successful the lucifer before. She conscionable took capable retired of her physically to win."

Asked what was imaginable for Tomljanovic astatine Flushing Meadows, Masur said that with the early exits of apical seeds Anett Kontaveit, Maria Sakkari and Paula Badosa, each bets are off.

"I've ever seen Ajla arsenic a subordinate that wants to predominate and privation to dictate. But tonight, you know, she had to support for a bully information of the clip - she was precise consenting to bash it, she did it precise well, and she's got the athleticism to bash it," helium said.

"The women's crippled is beauteous wide open, isn't it? Upsets - they're not fewer and acold between, it's happening each the time. So, if she's successful the close mindset and she doesn't endure a spot of a letdown aft beating Serena, anything's possible."

Former British tennis subordinate turned commentator Mark Petchey added that Tomljanovic looked successful career-best signifier against the 23-time large champion.

Tomjlanovic hushes US Open crowd, takes first set

"That's got to beryllium the champion show of Ajla's vocation fixed the juncture playing Serena and knowing perchance it was going to beryllium Serena's past match," helium told Grand Slam Daily.

"The prime of tennis that Ajla produced retired determination was astir apt the champion I've ever seen her produce. I mean, she's evidently had 2 quarter-finals astatine Wimbledon (in 2021 and 2022) and present she's knocking connected the doorway (to triumph her archetypal major).

"She had 2 apical 10 wins this twelvemonth against Kontaveit and Badosa but that triumph determination is simply a item of her vocation and the mode that she handled that assemblage retired determination was stunning."

Tomljanovic volition adjacent look satellite No.35 Liudmila Samsonova connected Monday (AEST) for a spot successful the quarter-finals.

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