Latest news with #DonnaVekic
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Swift exit for two Australians as Wimbledon challenge falters at the first
Under blue skies more redolent of her Gold Coast home than London, Kim Birrell has achieved the unenviable distinction of being the first player knocked out in a completed match at this year's Wimbledon championships. And on a dismal opening morning for the 17-strong Australian challenge, Chris O'Connell quickly followed her out the exit door as one of the first men's victims at sunny SW19 with a straight-sets loss on Monday. The 27-year-old Birrell, making her debut at the grass court slam, never recovered from a nervy start in which she surrendered the first set to No 22 seed and last year's semi-finalist Donna Vekic without winning a game. Any thoughts Birrell might benefit from a London heatwave that had spectators seeking any shade they could find had already evaporated. But a much-improved battling second set prompted hope, at 4-4, of the Victorian forcing a decider, but the Croatian star then took the last two games to complete a 6-0 6-4 victory in 79 minutes. Birrell, who saved one match point but then watched her forehand shoot long on the second, left the English capital with some hard-earned experience and $A138,500 as her reward for battling through qualifying. O'Connell, one of eight Australians in action on the opening day, found the veteran Adrian Mannarino too much to handle, going down 6-2 6-4 6-3 in two-and-a-quarter one-sided hours. Sydneysider O'Connell must have feared the worst when he saw the draw, as he had been similarly sliced up by the 37-year-old French left-hander on grass three weeks ago. It represented a wretched start for the biggest contingent of Australian players at the grass-court slam in 30 years, with six more due in action later on Monday.
7NEWS
2 days ago
- Sport
- 7NEWS
Aussie Kim Birrell becomes first player knocked out of 2025 Wimbledon championships
Under blue skies more redolent of her Gold Coast home than London, Kim Birrell has achieved the unenviable distinction of being the first player knocked out of this year's Wimbledon championships. The 27-year-old, making her debut at the grass court slam, never recovered from a nervy start in which she surrendered the first set to No.22 seed Donna Vekic. Any thoughts that she might benefit from a London heatwave that had spectators seeking any shade they could find had quickly evaporated. A much-improved battling second set prompted hope, at 4-4, of forcing a third, but the experienced Croatian then took the last two games to complete a 6-0, 6-4 victory in 79 minutes. Birrell, who saved one match point but then sent a forehand long on the second, left the English capital with some hard-earned experience and £66,000 ($A138,500) as her reward for battling through qualifying. She was the first of seven Australians in the women's singles with Olivia Gadecki, Ajla Tomljanovic and Tahlia Gibson due on court later on Monday.
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Sport
- Perth Now
Birrell makes swift exit as Aussies open Wimbledon bid
Under blue skies more redolent of her Gold Coast home than London, Kim Birrell has achieved the unenviable distinction of being the first player knocked out of this year's Wimbledon championships. The 27-year-old, making her debut at the grass court slam, never recovered from a nervy start in which she surrendered the first set to No.22 seed Donna Vekic. Any thoughts that she might benefit from a London heatwave that had spectators seeking any shade they could find had quickly evaporated. A much-improved battling second set prompted hope, at 4-4, of forcing a third, but the experienced Croatian then took the last two games to complete a 6-0 6-4 victory in 79 minutes. Birrell, who saved one match point but then sent a forehand long on the second, left the English capital with some hard-earned experience and £66,000 ($A138,500) as her reward for battling through qualifying. She was the first of seven Australians in the women's singles with Olivia Gadecki, Ajla Tomljanovic and Tahlia Gibson due on court later on Monday.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Wimbledon semi-finalist Donna Vekic: ‘I always have a heartbreaker on the grass'
It was one of those Wimbledon matches that took your breath away. The emotional peaks and troughs of elite-level sport, played out in front of an enthralled Centre Court crowd, on a bright afternoon in July. A record-setter, too: at two hours and 51 minutes, the longest semi-final at the All England Club in the 147-year history of the ladies' singles competition. Yet for Donna Vekic, disconsolate after missing out on a first Grand Slam final, her agonising defeat to Jasmine Paolini last year is not a contest she wants to witness again. Particularly now, ahead of another tilt in SW19. Advertisement 'It was very heartbreaking,' Vekic tells The Independent, nearly 12 months on from that loss in a final-set tie-break. The tears are still fresh in the memory. Vekic (right) missed out on last year's Wimbledon final after an agonising defeat to Jasmine Paolini (Getty) 'I still haven't seen the highlights or rewatched the match. It was not easy. I feel like every grass court season, I always have a heartbreaker. Thank God the Olympics [in Paris] were straight after… because I didn't have time to cry too much.' Vekic's journey to the last four at Wimbledon last year, in which she won four out of five matches in three sets before eventually coming a cropper to Italian Paolini, was a career-best performance on the sport's grandest stage, in her 42nd Grand Slam. Given her hard-hitting, low-trajectory groundstrokes, it was perhaps little surprise that she put a run together on the grass. Advertisement But what was a surprise – no more to Vekic herself – was her meritorious response on the slower, tougher clay courts of Paris, a few weeks later. Her spirits buoyed, not dampened, the proud Croat beat second seed Coco Gauff (who won the French Open earlier this month) in the third round, before battling to the semi-finals with two final-set tie-break triumphs, via a hair's breadth 10-8 scoreline. Vekic guaranteed herself a medal with a semi-final obliteration of Slovak player Anna Karolina Schmiedlova in the semis, before falling to China's Qinwen Zheng in the final. 'Winning a medal for your country is so tough,' she reflects, now, on the proudest moment of her career. 'It was an incredible experience, which only winning a Slam could beat.' Vekic even acknowledges that, prior to Paris, she thought her best chance of a medal would come in the mixed doubles, which she didn't even play in the end. That being said, the uniqueness of the Olympic setting acted as a natural source of rejuvenation. Advertisement 'I stayed in the Olympic village and just hanging out with athletes from different sports brings your energy levels up,' she adds. 'I definitely surprised myself, particularly on clay, which has never been my friend. But it was always a big goal to win a medal.' Vekic (left) won an impressive Olympic silver medal in Paris last summer (Getty) It marked 2024 as the most prosperous season of a career which, despite still being two years shy of 30, has already stretched to 14 years. That, in itself, is an achievement which should not be overlooked. Vekic is an ambassador for Mackage, the clothing brand launching the second chapter of their 'Protect your Craft' series (Mackage) Vekic emerged, quite suddenly, at 16 years of age when she made the final of the WTA-level Tashkent Open in 2012. By Wimbledon the following year, the British press were already comparing her to Maria Sharapova, who won Wimbledon at the age of 17 in 2004. Advertisement Being thrust into the world of professional tennis as a teenager is no easy environment to grow up. Many teenage stars before her have seen their greatest achievements come in their formative years, largely a result of natural fearlessness on the court. Yet Vekic, who wears her heart on her sleeve week-in, week-out, confesses to never feeling such non-alignment. 'I've always been the same,' she says, of a time when she first became accustomed to 'suitcase travelling,' as she puts it. 'My emotions can bring out the best in me on court, but sometimes my worst. But I like to have momentum and confidence in my shots, that's the most important thing for my tennis. Advertisement 'I did have an element of surprise [at the start of her career] because no one knows your game. But once people get to know you, then you have to start the grind!' Vekic first appeared in the main draw at Wimbledon in 2013 at the age of 16 (Getty) Vekic's career has rarely fluctuated in the decade or so since: a career-high ranking of 17 was achieved post-Wimbledon last year, while she has not dropped below the top-75 in the rankings since 2016. Perhaps inevitably, though, given the rigours of life on tour, she has come close to calling it quits. Even last summer, in fact, just before Wimbledon. 'I was thinking about it, but I didn't want to miss the Olympics,' she recalls. 'It's always been tough for me mentally. It's always challenged me and with all the travelling, I'm pretty tired. Advertisement 'Even this year, I really wanted to do well and play. I had big expectations but it hasn't worked out so far. But it hasn't affected me as much as last year, that's for sure.' And so back to Wimbledon. Pam Shriver, the 22-time Grand Slam winning doubles player, tennis broadcaster and teenage talent herself, had been a part of Vekic's team as a consultant since 2022. She described the American as 'family' but, last week, Shriver stepped down from her role. There is no bad blood but, undeniably, it is a blow for the Croat. Yet it is not in Vekic's nature – both on and off the court – to wilt. Giving up, per se, is not an option and, back in south-west London, her ambitious, underlying goal remains the Venus Rosewater Dish on 12 July. Advertisement 'A lot of things have to happen for you to win a Slam,' she says, a week after losing in the first round of Queen's. 'I hope I can raise my level. My goal is to win Wimbledon. 'I feel good there. So far in my career, I have given it my absolute all. I want to be known for never giving up and I've never given up so far. 'I want that to be the case until the end of my career. If I'm meant to win a Slam, amazing. If not, it's OK, I still have a motherhood home.'
The Independent
7 days ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Wimbledon semi-finalist Donna Vekic: ‘I always have a heartbreaker on the grass'
It was one of those Wimbledon matches that took your breath away. The emotional peaks and troughs of elite-level sport, played out in front of an enthralled Centre Court crowd, on a bright afternoon in July. A record-setter, too: at two hours and 51 minutes, the longest semi-final at the All England Club in the 147-year history of the ladies' singles competition. Yet for Donna Vekic, disconsolate after missing out on a first Grand Slam final, her agonising defeat to Jasmine Paolini last year is not a contest she wants to witness again. Particularly now, ahead of another tilt in SW19. 'It was very heartbreaking,' Vekic tells The Independent, nearly 12 months on from that loss in a final-set tie-break. The tears are still fresh in the memory. 'I still haven't seen the highlights or rewatched the match. It was not easy. I feel like every grass court season, I always have a heartbreaker. Thank God the Olympics [in Paris] were straight after… because I didn't have time to cry too much.' Vekic's journey to the last four at Wimbledon last year, in which she won four out of five matches in three sets before eventually coming a cropper to Italian Paolini, was a career-best performance on the sport's grandest stage, in her 42nd Grand Slam. Given her hard-hitting, low-trajectory groundstrokes, it was perhaps little surprise that she put a run together on the grass. But what was a surprise – no more to Vekic herself – was her meritorious response on the slower, tougher clay courts of Paris, a few weeks later. Her spirits buoyed, not dampened, the proud Croat beat second seed Coco Gauff (who won the French Open earlier this month) in the third round, before battling to the semi-finals with two final-set tie-break triumphs, via a hair's breadth 10-8 scoreline. Vekic guaranteed herself a medal with a semi-final obliteration of Slovak player Anna Karolina Schmiedlova in the semis, before falling to China's Qinwen Zheng in the final. 'Winning a medal for your country is so tough,' she reflects, now, on the proudest moment of her career. 'It was an incredible experience, which only winning a Slam could beat.' Vekic even acknowledges that, prior to Paris, she thought her best chance of a medal would come in the mixed doubles, which she didn't even play in the end. That being said, the uniqueness of the Olympic setting acted as a natural source of rejuvenation. 'I stayed in the Olympic village and just hanging out with athletes from different sports brings your energy levels up,' she adds. 'I definitely surprised myself, particularly on clay, which has never been my friend. But it was always a big goal to win a medal.' It marked 2024 as the most prosperous season of a career which, despite still being two years shy of 30, has already stretched to 14 years. That, in itself, is an achievement which should not be overlooked. Vekic emerged, quite suddenly, at 16 years of age when she made the final of the WTA-level Tashkent Open in 2012. By Wimbledon the following year, the British press were already comparing her to Maria Sharapova, who won Wimbledon at the age of 17 in 2004. Being thrust into the world of professional tennis as a teenager is no easy environment to grow up. Many teenage stars before her have seen their greatest achievements come in their formative years, largely a result of natural fearlessness on the court. Yet Vekic, who wears her heart on her sleeve week-in, week-out, confesses to never feeling such non-alignment. 'I've always been the same,' she says, of a time when she first became accustomed to 'suitcase travelling,' as she puts it. 'My emotions can bring out the best in me on court, but sometimes my worst. But I like to have momentum and confidence in my shots, that's the most important thing for my tennis. 'I did have an element of surprise [at the start of her career] because no one knows your game. But once people get to know you, then you have to start the grind!' Vekic's career has rarely fluctuated in the decade or so since: a career-high ranking of 17 was achieved post-Wimbledon last year, while she has not dropped below the top-75 in the rankings since 2016. Perhaps inevitably, though, given the rigours of life on tour, she has come close to calling it quits. Even last summer, in fact, just before Wimbledon. 'I was thinking about it, but I didn't want to miss the Olympics,' she recalls. 'It's always been tough for me mentally. It's always challenged me and with all the travelling, I'm pretty tired. 'Even this year, I really wanted to do well and play. I had big expectations but it hasn't worked out so far. But it hasn't affected me as much as last year, that's for sure.' And so back to Wimbledon. Pam Shriver, the 22-time Grand Slam winning doubles player, tennis broadcaster and teenage talent herself, had been a part of Vekic's team as a consultant since 2022. She described the American as 'family' but, last week, Shriver stepped down from her role. There is no bad blood but, undeniably, it is a blow for the Croat. Yet it is not in Vekic's nature – both on and off the court – to wilt. Giving up, per se, is not an option and, back in south-west London, her ambitious, underlying goal remains the Venus Rosewater Dish on 12 July. 'A lot of things have to happen for you to win a Slam,' she says, a week after losing in the first round of Queen's. 'I hope I can raise my level. My goal is to win Wimbledon. 'I feel good there. So far in my career, I have given it my absolute all. I want to be known for never giving up and I've never given up so far. 'I want that to be the case until the end of my career. If I'm meant to win a Slam, amazing. If not, it's OK, I still have a motherhood home.'
