Elena Rybakina pulls off thrilling comeback against Tatjana Maria at Queen’s Club Championships
Elena Rybakina fought back from the brink of defeat to beat Tatjana Maria 6-7, 7-5, 6-0 and reach the quarter-finals of the Queen’s Club Championships.
The top seed was just two points from losing, down 6-7, 4-5 (0-30), but managed to turn things around to claim victory in three sets.
Rybakina had lost to Maria at Queen’s a year ago and looked like she might be heading for another defeat against the German.
But after her win, Rybakina spoke highly of her opponent in her post-match interview.
Elena Rybakina knew facing Tatjana Maria would be tough on grass
“I knew it was going to be a very difficult match, and especially for the first match on grass, it’s a tough opponent,” she said. “I’m just happy that I managed to find a way.
“The first set was pretty close; of course, I was getting frustrated with the mistakes, but I’m happy that I found my way and served pretty well throughout the match, so I’m looking forward to the next one.”
Rybakina was then asked what she had learned from her defeat to Maria last year. “On the grass, you should come to the net more often, no matter the opponent,” she said.
“I feel like I had to stay aggressive, but at the same time, not rush so much and sometimes not overhit. So I was battling with myself on which points I should go and which points I should stay. But again, I’m happy that I found a way and found a rhythm.”
The world number two must play two matches today after rain prevented a ball from being hit on Thursday.
Boulter also has to play twice in one day following Thursday’s washout and will take some encouragement from seeing Rybakina pushed hard by an opponent who could have been even more dangerous had this surface suited her game better.
Katie Boulter faces Elena Rybakina: Can she pull off an upset?
Rybakina has already come through one tough test, but now there’s another challenge ahead.
Boulter will have the crowd behind her when she faces Rybakina, but whether that gives her enough of an edge remains to be seen.
“Katie [Boulter] is like a version of herself; she has a beautiful serve, a big serve, and big ground strokes,” Croft said.
“She doesn’t throw in so much variety; she does add in some drop shots and tries to come forward herself. I think it will be a more comfortable match in terms of how she will feel with the ball striking. But Katie will definitely have a chance.”
Croft also feels Boulter’s recent form and match sharpness could make this clash far more competitive than some might expect.
“I think she’s striking the ball beautifully; she will have a crack at Rybakina because she’s had more matches under her belt already,” Croft added.
It’s never easy being the favourite. Sometimes that comes with pressure. She won’t want to lose to Tatjana Maria on grass for two years running, so there was pressure on her shoulders.”
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