“Tomljanovic primed for Chatrier showdown with Paolini”
Ajla Tomljanovic believes her triumph within the all-Aussie ‘generation game’ with Maya Joint might have supplied her with the right preparation to down her subsequent, extra illustrious opponent on the French Open.
Tomljanovic predicted a golden future for “amazing talent” Joint after her first-round win, saying {the teenager}’s crisp-striking, fleet-footed recreation reminded her of the world No.4 Jasmine Paolini, who now stands in her approach.
And the evergreen Tomljanovic believes she’ll must ship the identical front-foot attacking show to down the little Italian ball of power who reached each the Roland Garros and Wimbledon finals final 12 months.
“Jasmine is like, in a sense, a more experienced and better Maya. They have pretty similar games,” mused the 32-year-old Tomljanovic, trying ahead to the high-profile date on Courtroom Philippe Chatrier on Wednesday.
“So I got here off courtroom, and the very first thing my coach stated was ‘this is the way you have to play against Jasmine, and it’s going to be very important for you to keep doing that on Wednesday’.
“So there’ll be no excuses, I know how to approach it.”
Tomljanovic accepts her younger pal Joint, with whom she’s educated loads, remains to be a piece in progress however she’s seen sufficient to make her assume {the teenager} may very well be hovering world wide’s prime 30 by the top of this 12 months.
Her easy evaluation? “Simply going off of what I really feel once I play her, she’s simply extraordinarily, extraordinarily good at tennis!
“We observe loads already this 12 months, and he or she’s only a nice particular person on prime of being a tremendous expertise. So actually excited for her, as a result of I feel the ceiling is basically excessive for Maya.
“I don’t see why she couldn’t finish the year close to 30, 40.”
As for her personal type, Tomljaonvic, who seemed as sharp on Monday as when she was reaching quarter-finals at Wimbledon (2021, 2022) and Flushing Meadows (2022), mused: “Actually good query. I am curious too.
“I’d be happy if I finished top 50, and I’m not being too tough on myself and not being like it’s impossible. It’s a good goal,” added the veteran who’s been as excessive as 32 a few years in the past however is at the moment at 71.
When she’s at her finest, Tomljanovic can provide any opponent a run for his or her cash and Paolini, possibly nonetheless feeling a little bit of a hangover after her Italian Open triumph, accepted after an “up and down” three-set opening win over Yue Yuan that she wants to enhance.
For Tomljanovic is feeling good on the courts the place she first made a significant breakthrough as a Croatian teenager again in 2014, even earlier than she made the transfer to Australia.
AUSTRALIANS IN ACTION ON DAY FOUR OF THE FRENCH OPEN (prefix denotes seeding)
Girls
Ajla Tomljanovic v (4) Jasmine Paolini (ITA)
Males
(25) Alexei Popyrin v Alejandro Tabilo (CHI)
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