Melbourne, Australia – On the 10th day of the Australian Open, the men's and women's quarterfinals played out underneath clear, sunny skies.
Linette, a new face on Team Yonex, arrived in Melbourne under the radar before the tournament, but she has now earned respect and attention by reaching the final four.
Linette wins with mental strength
The vibrant blue color of the Australian Open's court, illuminated by the bright sunlight of Melbourne, matched up well with Linette's blue racquet.
Magda Linette (POL), a newcomer to Team Yonex this year, has performed impressively to reach the semi-finals.
Two years ago, the day before she boarded the plane to Melbourne, Linette withdrew from the event due to knee pain. The injury, which she initially thought had healed, forcefully returned. She underwent surgery on her knee the day after announcing her withdrawal.
The 2021 edition of the Australian Open was defined by its extremely strict Covid protocols, which forced players to undertake a two week quarantine before the tournament, leaving their hotels only for a couple of hours of practice each day. Many players complained about their conditions, but even their situation was enviable to her.
"I had already my flight, had my hotel room. Listened to everybody complaining about the isolation, and I was so jealous that they had to do it, because I really wanted to be there.", she she said.
After the surgery, Linette returned to work about six weeks later. But she admits to rushing her recovery. She initially struggled to win matches upon her return, and she parted ways with her long-time coach, but her challenges helped her grow up. "I became a little bit calmer," she said.
Her greater maturity was evident as she defeated Karolina Pliskova (CZE) to reach the semi-finals on Wednesday.
In the opening set, Linette broke serve at 3-2 and refused to relinquish her lead. Throughout the second set, though, the pair battled back and forth until the end. Linette was frustrated after missing three break points during the seventh game and she also felt constant pressure on her own serve.
"I think just staying composed, really, mentally," she said. "When it was really tough on my serve, she (Pliskova) was getting very aggressive. my first serve wasn't always there. I think I did really well not to panic and still stay in the rally and go for the shots when I had the chance. that was, I think, something I did the best."
Although she had never passed the fourth round of any major tournament before, Linette has played against top players on the biggest stages many times and the 30 year-old drew on her experience throughout the second set.
"It's nothing really new for me," she said. "I've played so many big players already."
Linette fought until the end and at 5-5 in the second set, she converted the decisive break before toiling through a tough final service game to reach match point.
When Pliskova’s final shot struck the net on match point, her racquet flew into the air, overcome with relief and jubilation after as her hard work paid off.
Magda Linette (POL) | EZONE [LINK]
