Former world No 2 Anett Kontaveit couldn’t hide her happiness after crushing 49th-ranked Alycia Parks for her first big WTA Tour victory in quite some time.
Kontaveit, who has plummeted to No 82 in the world, destroyed 2023 Lyon champion Parks 6-1 6-1 in her Rome opener.
After starting the season with two wins and five defeats on the WTA Tour, Kontaveit clinched her third Tour win of the year in a very impressive way.
“I played a good match. The opponent did not feel most comfortable playing on clay. I seemed to be able to move her very well and play her strong serves. I was a bit more stable than my opponent. I didn’t give her easy points, she had to fight for everything. After such a victory, you are always happy and feel that things are getting better. I have to take it match by match and see how my body feels. I’m glad to be back. It’s nice to experience the feeling of victory again,” Kontaveit said, per Sportskeeda.
Kontaveit crushed Parks in the Rome first round
A bit shockingly, Kontaveit actually started the match by getting broken in the very first game of the match.
However, Parks’ lead was short-lived as Kontaveit won the next six games to still easily win the first set.
After losing the first set, Parks served out the first game of the second set to end Kontaveit’s run of six consecutive games won.
Then, Kontaveit went on another run which saw her win six games in a row.
After being out for two months due to a back injury, Kontaveit returned to action last month.
For now, Kontaveit’s main priority is to stay healthy and try to find her best game again.
āI have had several problems in the last year, I even got Covid-19. I know I fell in the rankings, but I know my level and I know that if I play well I have a chance against all the players in the world. I really believe in my game. But now the main goal is to be healthy,” Kontaveit said last month.