MELBOURNE:
Anybody strolling previous Melbourne Park’s outer courts might need felt like they had been wandering via Istanbul on Wednesday because the roars behind Turkish trailblazer Zeynep Sonmez reached deafening ranges on the Australian Open.
A well-liked draw amongst Turkish followers and now a crowd favorite in Melbourne after aiding an sick ball woman throughout her opener, Sonmez fed off the vitality on court docket seven to beat Hungarian Anna Bondar 6-2 6-4 and progress.
“I felt like I used to be at house,” Sonmez advised reporters after matching her finest Grand Slam run of reaching the third spherical at Wimbledon final yr.
“I used to be feeling the vitality. It was unreal. I recognize it. I felt superb on the court docket. I felt the help, and I felt like we had been all enjoying collectively, truly.
“In Wimbledon after I was enjoying third spherical, it was just like this, however in the present day … I felt like I by no means skilled one thing like this.”
Sonmez is a part of a rising group of gamers from nations with out conventional tennis pathways who’re lighting up the game’s largest phases.
Filipina Alexandra Eala was watched by heaving crowds outdoors apply courts within the build-up to the Grand Slam whereas Janice Tjen has gained new followers by turning into the primary Indonesian to win a match on the Australian Open in 28 years.
“I believe it is good … there are some international locations which are superb at tennis. You realize, they’re like tennis international locations. We aren’t one among them,” Sonmez stated.
“It is a good factor, as a result of there are extra gamers and extra surprises. I noticed Alex enjoying few days in the past. The group was loopy. I actually take pleasure in watching these matches.”
Like the largest gamers from the strongest nations, Sonmez additionally goals of sometime profitable a Grand Slam.
“However I am not focusing particularly on that dream,” she stated.
“I am simply specializing in getting higher every single day. I wish to take pleasure in being on the court docket, as a result of I do know that I really feel and I play higher after I take pleasure in being on the court docket.”
Having come via three qualifying rounds earlier than beautiful eleventh seed Ekaterina Alexandrova and taking out Bondar, the 112th ranked Sonmez will look to maintain her run going when she meets Kazakh Yulia Putintseva within the third spherical.
“Proper now I am drained, as a result of I simply completed,” she stated. “However I am not drained general.”
