Arina Rodionova from Australia has achieved a significant feat in the world of tennis. At the age of 31, she has become the oldest woman to enter the top 100 rankings for the first time.
On Thursday night in Hua Hin, the 34-year-old reached her highest career ranking after defeating Chinese player Bai Zhuoxuan with a score of 3-6 6-1 6-0 at the Thailand Open.
The win guarantees that Rodionova, at 34 years and 52 days old, will make it into the top 100 when the new WTA rankings are released on Monday. This is a remarkable achievement in her later years, driven in part by her determination.
After starting her professional career in Russia 20 years ago, Rodionova has finally achieved a top-100 ranking.
The top-ranked female player in Australia, who is a veteran, was recently refused a wildcard for the Australian Open by Tennis Australia. She was subsequently eliminated in the qualifying rounds.
Rodionova disclosed that she believed she was facing a personal grudge from the governing organization.
“I have no regrets from today except for giving Tennis Australia something to celebrate,” Rodionova stated confidently following her defeat in the first round of qualifiers in Melbourne.
I believe they are quite satisfied with my performance today, which is what bothers me.
In 2023, Rodionova had a breakthrough year where she won seven singles titles in lower-level ITF tournaments after making a comeback from a severe wrist injury.
After her appearance in the Australian Open, the player, originally from Russia, has made the authorities consider her even more by being the only Australian woman ranked in the top 100.
Her current ranking is 101, but her performance in Hua Hin will potentially boost her to 96 in the new rankings. This is a remarkable improvement for a player who was ranked 302nd at the beginning of 2023.
If Rodionova is victorious in the tournament, her ranking could rise significantly and bring her close to the top 70 players.
Kim Birrell, ranked at No. 124, is the second highest-ranked Australian.
Ignore the advertisement for the newsletter.
after newsletter promotion
After making an impressive comeback and winning 11 consecutive games against 21-year-old Bai, Rodionova has secured a spot in the quarter-finals of a tour-level event for only the second time in her career.
The last time she got to the last-eight was in Nanchang, China, seven years ago.
After eliminating two Chinese competitors during her run, Rodionova will now face a third opponent, second seed Zhu Lin, on Friday.
The world No 45, Zhu ensured there would be three Chinese players in the last eight as she defeated Linda Fruhvirtova 6-2 6-2.
On Friday, Rodionova will also compete in the semi-final of the doubles with her Chinese partner Yuan Yue, whom she defeated in the initial round of the singles.
Source: theguardian.com
