The best Croatian tennis player Donna Vekić (WTA-19) won a place in the round of 16 of the Australian Open after tonight in the 3rd round she defeated the 20-year-old Russian Diana Shnajder (WTA-13) with 7-6 (4), 6-7 ( 3), 7-5 in a match that lasted three hours.
In the decisive third set, Vekić lost her serve in the eighth game and thus gave the Russian an opportunity to close the match on her serve. But Vekić showed last year’s form and mental strength like she had at Wimbledon and at the OI in Paris.
She returned the lost serve, and then made a break at 5-5. That’s how she opened the way to serve for the match and managed to use the very first match point.
Donna Vekic’s reaction after beating Shnaider to reach Australian Open R16
3 hours of grueling tennis
She drops her racquet & covers her face
Big sigh of relief… happiness… every emotion under the sun 🥹
What a fighter this woman is. ❤️
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) January 17, 2025
During the match, Vekić saved seven break points, and out of nine opportunities to take away serve, she used six of them. It was her second meeting with the Russian Schneider. Last year in the final of the grass tournament in Bad Homburg, Germany, the Russian tennis player celebrated (6-3, 2-6, 6-3).
In the round of 16, Vekić will again play against the Russian tennis player, she will be her opponent Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (27th seed), who beat Germany’s Laura Siegemund 6-1, 6-2 in the 3rd round.
Vekić and Pavljučenkova have played twice so far and the Russian won both matches. Last year she won at the Australian Open (6-4, 6-4), and in 2023 in Tokyo (6-1, 6-1).
(Hina | Photo: X)
