AFP, Gstaad :
Sixteen-year-old Rebeka Masarova marked her WTA Tour debut with a 1-6, 6-4, 6-2 defeat of former world number one Jelena Jankovic in the rain-delayed first round of the Gstaad tournament on Thursday.
The French Open junior champion is playing on a wild card at her home event and next faces Anett Kontaveit of Croatia.
“I resolved not to make too many mistakes, and was focused on what I had to do. I realized what she was doing to me; she was playing a lot to my backhand, and I had to play to her forehand,” said Masarova.
“It wasn’t about winning the point anymore, it was about not missing. But when I had the opportunity to make a point, I did.”
Former top 10 regular Patty Schnyder, 37, saw her wild card appearance halted at the first hurdle as she continues her unlikely comeback.
Schnyder lost to the Czech Republic’s Katerina Siniakova, 2-6, 7-5, 6-4.
“A couple points, and it could have gone either way. I wasn’t the luckiest, either,” Schnyder told wtatennis.com.
“But we also have to talk about how tough it was to wait with the rain and to play in that wet and cold weather. It was a struggle for both, I know, but for my game, it’s helpful when the ball bounces high and it’s not too heavy.
Normally I’d find these conditions in Gstaad, but not with the rain.”
Sixteen-year-old Rebeka Masarova marked her WTA Tour debut with a 1-6, 6-4, 6-2 defeat of former world number one Jelena Jankovic in the rain-delayed first round of the Gstaad tournament on Thursday.
The French Open junior champion is playing on a wild card at her home event and next faces Anett Kontaveit of Croatia.
“I resolved not to make too many mistakes, and was focused on what I had to do. I realized what she was doing to me; she was playing a lot to my backhand, and I had to play to her forehand,” said Masarova.
“It wasn’t about winning the point anymore, it was about not missing. But when I had the opportunity to make a point, I did.”
Former top 10 regular Patty Schnyder, 37, saw her wild card appearance halted at the first hurdle as she continues her unlikely comeback.
Schnyder lost to the Czech Republic’s Katerina Siniakova, 2-6, 7-5, 6-4.
“A couple points, and it could have gone either way. I wasn’t the luckiest, either,” Schnyder told wtatennis.com.
“But we also have to talk about how tough it was to wait with the rain and to play in that wet and cold weather. It was a struggle for both, I know, but for my game, it’s helpful when the ball bounces high and it’s not too heavy.
Normally I’d find these conditions in Gstaad, but not with the rain.”
