Ajla Tomljanović made a late comeback on Thursday night against 11th seed Jelena Ostapenko in the second round of the Australian Open, but unfortunately, her efforts were not enough for a complete turnaround.
Only two Australians remain in the singles competition at Melbourne Park after the Latvian’s victory of 6-0, 3-6, 6-4.
Tomljanović stated that the 102-minute game seemed to go by quickly.
The Australian expressed that the event felt like it went by quickly. They acknowledged that their opponent came out strong and while they were aware of that possibility, they were not fully prepared for it.
Last year, Ostapenko made it to the quarter-finals at Melbourne Park. Her recent performance, which has brought her back into the top 10, mirrors her success as the 2017 French Open champion.
She emerged victorious in the doubles event at Brisbane and also claimed the singles title in Adelaide during the lead-up. Additionally, she had already defeated a local competitor, Kim Birrell, at this year’s tournament.
The strong batter stated that she has been attempting to embrace a more assertive approach following the game.
“It may seem unusual to me, but I believe that in critical moments, I need to apply more pressure on my opponent in order to improve.”
On Thursday, her altered strategy demonstrated potential. In just 19 minutes of the first set, Ostapenko hit 10 impressive shots compared to her opponent’s one, and was aided by four double faults from the other player.
Tomljanović, who is currently in the process of recovering from knee surgery that took place last year, managed to make an impressive comeback this week. In the first round, she fought hard and was able to defeat Petra Martić, even though she was initially trailing 1-4 in the final set.
In the second round, she immediately appeared to be playing better and was able to break her opponent’s serve in the fifth game.
During the set, the Latvian engaged in prolonged discussions with her team, often making angry gestures and signaling for one of them to exit the court. Tomljanović appeared to use Ostapenko’s distractions to her advantage and ultimately won the set with another break.
“I always took a chance and swung for the fences, and it ended up being successful,” Tomljanović expressed.
As the clock struck midnight, the match had become quite peculiar. In the third set, there were three consecutive breaks, and in the following game, the Latvian player committed two double faults, but managed to hold on to their advantage.
At 3-4 behind, the Australian player had the best chance of tying the score. A remarkable return with her forehand created two opportunities for a break. However, a powerful serve from Ostapenko in the middle prevented one, and Tomljanović was able to defend against the second as she was moved around the court.
In the end, that was the end of the comeback. Despite winning without losing any points while down 3-5, the Australian player was knocked out of her home major tournament shortly after.
She stated, “I have the impression that I should be upset, but I am actually quite calm because it didn’t feel like I did something terribly wrong.”
“When I reflect on 12 months ago, I feel fortunate to be where I am now.”
This was the duo’s fourth encounter. Ostapenko had emerged victorious in two of them, but the most notable match was the Australian’s three-set win at Wimbledon in 2021.
Ostapenko made a controversial decision to request a medical timeout, resulting in a heated exchange at the net with the Australian player being called “the worst player on tour” by Ostapenko.
During the early morning of Friday, any hostility seemed to have disappeared completely. The two individuals had a friendly interaction at the end of the match, and Ostapenko expressed her happiness in seeing her opponent back on the court.
Tomljanović stated that the issue is now in the past and there is a mutual understanding between the two of them. She also mentioned that her opponent was gracious in her words when they shook hands.
Out of the 21 Australian singles participants this year, only two are left: Alex de Minaur and the top-ranked women’s doubles player, Storm Hunter.
Tomljanović expressed her confidence in Hunter’s potential to defeat ninth seed Barbora Krejčíková on Friday.
“Through her performance, [Hunter] has demonstrated that she possesses a strong skillset in singles matches. Additionally, Storm’s ability to bounce back should never be underestimated.”
On Friday evening, Hunter will face off against Krejčíková on Rod Laver Arena. Additionally, De Minaur will play against Italian qualifier Flavio Cobolli on John Cain Arena during the same night.
