Just as she did in the Canberra International last weekend, Olivia Rogowska has come back from losing the first set of the semifinal 1-6, to storm back and reach another final on the Australian Pro Tour.
Olivia Rogowska hitting a forehand against Julia Glushko in the Apis Canberra International tennis ITF Futures event semifinal. (Photo by Rob Keating, http://photos.keatingmedia.com.au)
On this occasion, Rogowska defeated Papua New Guinea’s Abigail Tere-Apisah 1-6, 6-4, 6-2. A week earlier Rogowska was down 1-6, 0-3 before winning 12 straight games to defeat Israel’s Julia Glushko in Canberra. From there she easily accounted for Destanee Aiava in the Apis Canberra International final.
Tere-Apisah had yesterday taken out the top seed with a convincing 6-2, 6-1 victory over Arina Rodionova. That would have given her plenty of confidence going into her match against Rogowska, despite a 0-4 head-to-head against her Australian opponent. The pair met in the quarterfinals in Canberra with Rogowska winning a tight match 7-5,7-5 and in the final of the Cairns International tournament when Rogowska won 1-6, 6-2, 6-2.
Rogowska has won 23 of her last 25 matches and improved her ranking almost 100 places, from No.275 at the beginning of the season to her current ranking No. 186, to top it off, she has been awarded a main draw wild card at the Australian Open. This is thanks to a strong Australian Pro Tour season. Kimberly Birrell secured a qualifying tournament wildcard.
Kimberly Birrell hits a forehand against Olivia Thandramulia in a first round match in the Canberra International. She was awarded an Australian Open qualifying wildcard. (Photo by Rob Keating, http://photos.keatingmedia.com.au)
Tamara Zidansek from Slovakia in her match against Destanee Aiava in Canberra. Zidansek will play Rogowska for the Bendigo International title.
In the other semifinal, Slovenian Tamara Zidansek (No.4) and Japan’s Mai Minokoshi were fighting it out for a finals berth. Zidansek had the form to suggest she would come out as the winner, and that is how it went. Zidansek booked her finals spot with a 6-1, 7-6(5) win.
Zidansek is just 19 years-old compared to Rogowska at 26 and is actually ranked higher than Rogowska. The Slovenian is sitting at 180, just ahead of her Australian opponent who is at 186. The final is the first time that this pair has come together in singles.
In the doubles final, Canberra’s Alison Bai teamed up with Zoe Hives to defeat the top seeds in Arina Rodionova and Asia Muhammad. The match went down to the wire with the score being 4-6, 6-4, 10-8. A main draw Austalian Open doubles wildcard was also won by Ballarat’s Zoe Hives (Vic) and Canberra’s Alison Bai (ACT) after taking out the Bendigo ITF doubles title today.
Canberra’s Alison Bai won the doubles with Zoe Hives and the pairing has earned an Australian Open doubles wildcard. (Photo by Rob Keating, http://twitter.com/robkeating)
Zoe Hives from Australia. (Photo by Rob Keating, http://twitter.com/robkeating)
