Anna Blinkova showcases her resilience by coming from a set and a break down to defeat Caroline Wozniacki in a thrilling first-round match at the Cymbiotika San Diego Open.
Anna Blinkova stages stunning comeback to defeat Caroline Wozniacki at Cymbiotika San Diego Open
In a thrilling first-round match at the Cymbiotika San Diego Open, Anna Blinkova showcased her resilience by coming from a set and a break down to defeat former World No.1 Caroline Wozniacki. Blinkova’s remarkable comeback saw her win 1-6, 6-4, 6-1 after losing eight of the first nine games of the match.
( Credit to: Wtatennis )
Reflecting on the match, Blinkova expressed her admiration for Wozniacki’s strong start, admitting that her opponent was outplaying her in the first set. However, the 25-year-old Russian refused to give up and encouraged herself to keep fighting.
“It was a crazy match,” Blinkova said on court. “She started really well. She was outplaying me, she was much better than me in the first set. I couldn’t find solutions and I was down a set and 2-0. But I was just telling myself not to give up.”
Blinkova’s Resilience Shines Through
This victory marks Blinkova’s second impressive comeback this season. Earlier in the year, she saved six match points against World No.4 Elena Rybakina in the longest tiebreak in Grand Slam history, ultimately securing a thrilling win.
“It’s never too late to come back. I was thinking positively and fighting for every point. I was telling myself, you put all the balls in the court as much as you can, and I started to find my shots. I started to find the control,” Blinkova added.
Wozniacki’s Dominant Start Fades
Playing in her first tournament since the Australian Open, Wozniacki seemed to be in complete control during the first hour of the match. She dominated the opening set, hitting nine winners and making only four unforced errors. Wozniacki carried her momentum into the second set, breaking Blinkova’s serve immediately. However, Blinkova’s aggressive baseline play allowed her to mount a comeback.
Blinkova had an opportunity to serve out the second set at 5-3 but double-faulted, giving Wozniacki a chance to break back. Nevertheless, Blinkova remained resilient and broke Wozniacki for the third time in the set, forcing a decider. In the final set, Blinkova continued her strong performance and sealed the victory with a score of 1-6, 6-4, 6-1.
Blinkova’s Next Challenge: Dayana Yastremska
In the second round, Blinkova will face Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska, who defeated Caroline Dolehide 6-4, 5-7, 6-1 in her opening match.
Other Results from the San Diego Open
In other results from the San Diego Open, Tatjana Maria advanced to the second round after No.8 seed Leylah Fernandez retired from their match due to a left shoulder injury. Donna Vekic, the No.7 seed, defeated wild card Katherine Hui 7-5, 6-2, while Katerina Siniakova beat Mai Hontama 6-3, 6-1.
Additionally, Australian 18-year-old Taylah Preston secured her first Hologic WTA Tour main-draw win of her career by defeating Magdalena Frech 6-4, 4-6, 6-1. Preston, currently ranked 153rd in the world, recently reached the final at the WTA 125 Puerto Vallarta tournament.