In the first round of the Abierto Mexicano Telcel, Croatian-born Australian Ajla Tomljanovic played her first WTA match since January 2016 and totally unexpectedly to herself stunned sixth seed Eugenie Bouchard 7-6(4) 6-1, which is the 23-year-old’s first match win since September 2015.
After a 15-month absence due to a shoulder injury and subsequent surgery, Tomljanovic came to Acapulco without even remotely expecting to win, rather, she would’ve been content had she finished just one match without pain, but as the first set progressed into a tiebreak, after extremely poor serves by both players and four breaks on both sides, Tomljanovic started thinking about winning. After taking the first set despite winning two points less than Bouchard, Tomljanovic was more solid in the second set, saving 3/3 break points, as her Canadian opponent piled up unforced errors.
Surprised by this victory, Tomljanovic is still reserved in her hopes for the remainder of the tournament:
I’m not looking ahead. My next thought is dinner. That’s as far as I’m going ahead. This tournament for me is already a success.
In the second round, Tomljanovic will face Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium. (photo: Jimmie48)
What a comeback for Alja! Nick Kyrgios even tweeted about it. Too bad for Genie, it was her birthday.