Jana Fett today qualified for the Women's Tennis Association's (WTA) tournament's main draw next week with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Sachia Vickery.
It was a superb performance from Fett throughout as she managed to frustrate Vickery and upset the odds as she progressed through the tournament.
Vickery favourite to progress
Vickery has been ranked as high as No. 108 in the world in her career. She achieved this feat in July 2015. However, her most recent singles ranking by the WTA came out as No. 134 in the world. The highlights of Vickery’s career so far are no doubt the two singles titles on the WTA’s lower-level International Tennis Federation. Vickery came into this one win away from qualifying for the main draw after beating fellow American Brianna Morgan in two sets yesterday, 6-2, 7-5.
The American came up against 20-year-old Fett from Croatia which was always going to be a tricky task. The highest Fett has been ranked in her career by the WTA came last year in April as she was No. 142 in the world. However, as recently as April this year her ranking dropped back down to No. 221 in the world. She has won five ITF singles titles aswell as another four ITF titles in doubles. The highlight of her career so far came in 2015 as she beat Luksika Kumkhum to win the Dunlop World Challenge. She knocked out another American in Alexa Glatch in the first qualifying round yesterday in two sets, 6-3, 6-4.
Fett impresses in opening set
It was a very tight start to the opening set, with both players determined to reach the main draw of the competition. Both players did manage to break each other's serve in the early stages but Fett was looking the more consistent.
A key moment in the set came in the eighth game. Vickery had a great opportunity to break and make it 4-4 but Fett showed her composure to hold and make it 5-3. The American did however manage to hold her next service game to make it 5-4. Her frustration became even more apparent in the final game as she hit a ball well into the crowd and much to the crowds' pleasure it was caught by a spectator. However, it was Fett who had the last laugh as she took the opening set 6-4.
Delight for the Croatian
Vickery appeared to have taken her frustration from the opening set into the second with a disappointing start. Despite holding her first service game, she went on to lose the next two games. She was 30-0 up in her second service game but allowed Fett to come back and gave her the break of serve with a double fault as she went 2-1 behind.
After two consecutive holds, Vickery got herself right back in the set as she broke with her first break point opportunity to make it 3-3. Despite her best efforts, the American allowed Fett to break straight back and make it 4-3 with a double fault proving costly again. The Croatian then managed to hold her serve and move to within one game of the main draw at 5-3. She took no time in finishing off the match as she broke again to take the set 6-3 and win the match 2-0.
What next for Fett?
Fett will now have to wait to find out who she will face in the main draw of the competition next week. She will be relishing the opportunity of potentially coming up against one of the best players in the game.