Moving on from her equal-best showing at a Grand Slam only a matter of weeks ago, it’s back to reality for Petra Martic at Roehampton this week.
Five years ago, the Croatian stood on the cusp of the top 40 at age 21. Now she is just relieved to be playing again, working her way through Qualifying and free of the debilitating back injury that sidelined her for the 10 months prior to the French Open.
On Thursday, the 26-year-old closed to within one victory of reaching her first Wimbledon main draw since 2014 with a 7-6(4), 6-3 result over Romanian Mihaela Buzarnescu.
“I had a back problem so it was a really long time for me with recovery and with rehab so I’m back and I have no problems and I’m really happy to be playing,” Martic said.
“I expected a really tough match. I just tried not to think of her too much because yesterday I played really good and I think that helped me.”
It is only three weeks since the Croatian made an impressive run through qualifying at Roland Garros before taking down two seeded opponents en route to the fourth round.
There she stood just two points from upsetting world No.5 Elina Svitolina before falling 7-5 in the deciding set. It was just the second time she had progressed as far at a Grand Slam after her 2012 French Open showing. No one was more surprised than Martic herself.
“Yeah that was really unexpected,” she said. “I couldn’t believe I was in the fourth round of a Grand Slam again after five years."
With her ranking out to No.134, there is still work to do for the 26-year-old.
“I’m trying not to put pressure on myself,” she said. “I’m trying to take confidence out of it and just keep on playing because in previous years it was not my strength, you know, so I think I’m doing well.”
Her bid for more consistency is only growing thanks to that shot of confidence. Top seed Aleksandra Krunic was watching the final stages of Martic’s victory. The pair will square off for a main draw berth.
You always want to win when you go out on court, whether you’re playing last round of quallies or main draw
“Everybody tells me it’s not nice to play me on grass so I try to grasp that belief and just figure it out on court because I didn’t have a good preparation tournament before this, losing first round of quallies (at the Ilkley Trophy),” Martic said. “So I came here a little bit shaky but it’s been good so far.
“You always want to win when you go out on court, whether you’re playing last round of quallies or main draw.”
It was a good day for other women on the comeback trail from injuries. Former world No.35 Polona Hercog continued her charge through the Qualifying draw having endured eight months out of the game due to three major injury setbacks and a bout of appendicitis.
The Slovenian posted a 6-4, 7-6(7) result over Austrian Barbara Haas to set a final-round clash with German Antonia Lottner.
New Zealand’s former world No.39 Marina Erakovic – who has battled a neck issue, viral infection and lower back issues already this year – closed to within one victory of a return to the main draw with a convincing 6-1, 7-5 win over Swede Rebecca Peterson. Erakovic will take on young gun Destanee Aiva next after the Australian cruised past Barbora Krejcikova 6-2, 6-1.
It was not such a lucky return for former world No.15 and two-time former Wimbledon quarter-finalist Kaia Kanepi. Despite fighting back from 2-5 down in the deciding set, the Estonian fell to Australian Arina Rodionova 2-6, 6-2, 7-5. Rodionova will face German Tamara Korpatsch for a main draw berth.
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