- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
I won’t lie. The Australian wasn’t going to win the match.
No matter how hard Jaimee Fourlis tried, Svetlana Kuznetsova always looked like she would win. But tennis is arguably at its most enjoyable when both players improve during a match, and both players did.
How Kuznetsova sealed the first set was a microcosm of the match. Only after unforced errors, multiple deuces, and a missed opportunity the game before, was performance in a point good enough to win the set.
My last tennis match before this was Roger Federer’s epic comeback against Marin Cilic at Wimbledon. So, it was nice that it was a match worth following.
The three games Fourlis did win will be more impressive than three random easy matches she wins in her prime against players who are palpably not as good as her. And that day will come.
It is the cycle of tennis.
At least on this day it was a contest. The points were long, the games were long, and the deuces repetitive. It was clear that the two players were talented, and there was an appreciative audience.
Appreciation comes easier when the players are growing in front of your eyes. That relates to Fourlis and Kuznetsova. By the end of the match, the Russian’s ground strokes were noticeably improving.
In relation to Fourlis, it was clear how hard she is working to reach Kuznetsova’s current position in the cycle, and because of it, she may well do so. Considering her dedication to study as well as tennis, it seems like she will be an example of where the woman grows with the tennis player.
Such people tend to be more interesting and worth following where the growth of the tennis player happens despite a lack of growth in the person.
The match was the end of her Australian Open, but an end in that sense only.
Whether it’s aces or races, try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp for great odds and a great punting experience. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.