Storm Hunter’s eyes filled with tears not just once, but twice, as she discussed her achievement of making it to the third round of a grand slam singles draw for the first time at the Australian Open on Wednesday.
The 29-year-old from Australia had recently defeated German competitor Laura Siegemund in a gripping match lasting 141 minutes on John Cain Arena, with a final score of 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. Hunter had managed to overcome her nerves, as well as some overly aggressive forehands and the difficulties of pursuing a career in tennis for over ten years. Therefore, when former player and on-court interviewer Jelena Dokic asked her to look back on her journey to this point, it was no wonder that Hunter became emotional and her eyes filled with tears.
She expressed her gratitude, saying she never would have believed it possible. She didn’t expect to be in the third round, so it’s a dream come true for her.
The dream had seemed a long way off just minutes before, as Hunter struggled to put away the fiery German. Siegemund has a career-high ranking of 27, and beat world number 14 Liudmila Samsonova in Adelaide in a lead-up event. “Laura is an amazing competitor,” Hunter said. “I knew she wouldn’t go away and I was going to have to play my game and she wasn’t gonna give me any freebies.”
In the third round, Hunter recaptured the energy that was lost minutes ago and successfully broke the opponent’s serve, taking a 3-1 lead. However, as he approached a career milestone in Melbourne as a Queenslander with strong connections to Perth, challenges seemed to escalate.
The German – who has completed a psychology degree and been camped inside the top 100 for most the past decade – presented a formidable challenge for the Australian. Like Hunter, she is an elite doubles player and is currently ranked five in the world – four behind the Australian world No 1.
The gap between their individual rankings is significant: Hunter’s 180 ranking is a consequence of focusing on doubles last year, and is much lower than Siegemund’s 78 ranking. As reflected by these rankings, the German player once again made a comeback and even had a chance to tie the score at 4-4.
However, when she needed it most, Hunter switched to an aggressive approach. She hit two forehands that forced errors from the German, allowing her to take a 5-3 lead, and ultimately securing the most important singles victory of her career in the following game. “I was able to finish because of the support from the audience,” Hunter stated on the court afterwards. “You all were incredible, and you really helped me push through.”
Hunter’s journey to success was atypical. She was defeated in her initial three service games, but managed to break her opponent’s serve four times, ultimately winning the first set 6-4. In the second set, the Australian was able to win one of Siegemund’s service games, but as she neared victory, Hunter was caught off guard by the German’s resurgence.
Prior to the final set, the energy in the “People’s Court” at Melbourne Park peaked as 10,000 enthusiastic fans eagerly awaited the Australian’s return to top form. Despite some challenges, she ultimately succeeded and Hunter’s elation was palpable in her moment of victory. After exchanging handshakes with her opponent, she couldn’t contain her infectious smile as she danced and spun in acknowledgement of the cheering crowd.
Later on, Hunter shed more tears for her loved ones and her loyal coach Nicole Pratt. “I’m going to start crying,” Hunter expressed. “Since I was a child, my parents have always supported my aspirations. My husband and I have been together for a decade and he has witnessed everything – my injuries, my struggles with ranking, and now this incredible achievement. And Pratty, she’s been by my side since I was 17. She was the first to believe in me and has always had my back. To be able to do this for her as well is truly incredible.”
Pratt’s smile glistened with her own tears in response. She was not the sole person experiencing this across Australia.
Source: theguardian.com
