Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska ended her first-round match at the Lyon Tennis Championships on Tuesday in tears after defeating Romania’s Anna Bogdan 3-6, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (7) in three hours and five minutes, by saving two match points. .
She received an invitation two days before the Russian army invaded Ukraine, 21-year-old Yastremska, who previously ranked 21st in the world and is currently 140th, finished the game crying and on her knees, moved by the emotion under the applause of the audience Lyon.
Yastremska was able to overcome the emotions by being very strong mentally in the crucial moments of the match.
“In those moments, I realized it’s nothing compared to what’s going on or the moments I’ve had to get this far and it doesn’t really matter,” she said.
A bit nervous, she let go of her opponent’s first set 6-3 before recovering during the second set, hesitating to the finish during which she saved a match point with a score of 5-6 before leveling to play the decisive match which they won 9-7.
At the end of the last set, after losing three game points as she advanced 6-3 in the third set tiebreak, she was overtaken by emotion, in turn saving another ball game at 6-7 before scoring the next three points. To win 9-7.
“I’ve never played a match like this before in my life with such a feeling of tension. I was really very nervous. I tried to focus on the match, think point by point but it was still tough. I’m proud that I managed to win today. I was so excited.”
The player fled her country, leaving her parentsthrough a trip that took her to Romania before she joined Lyon, Sunday, with her 15-year-old sister Ivana, with whom she played the duo, Monday, in a first-round match that they lost.
In the second round, Thursday, Diana Yastremska will face Spain’s Cristina Boxa, who was victorious on Monday from France’s Elysee Cornet and is among the qualifiers.
Emily Thompson is a contributor at Vaughantoday.ca, covering a wide range of topics including local news, politics, business, technology, sports, entertainment, and lifestyle. She focuses on clear, accurate reporting that helps readers stay informed about current events and developments that matter to their community. Her work emphasizes useful information, balanced coverage, and stories that reflect the interests, concerns, and everyday experiences of readers across Canada.