19-year old Petra Martic came onto centre court at the WTA 18th Paris Open against Yanina Wickmayer, a virtual nobody. But damn it, she stepped off it with the scalp of a top 20 player, the vocal support of a hard-to-please Paris crowd and my ear marking as ONE TO WATCH!
More importantly, she's got the WTA media reps taking note and scrambling for interviews like the one below- all good stuff.
What makes Martic so impressive? She's cool and composed, even under pressure; she's got a full arsenal of weapons in the vein of a Henin; excellent court craft like a Hingis, and the makings of a rocket-reliable serve. Quite simply, the girl's got game and is engaging to watch. Never mind her self-possessed interviews and grace on court that sees her switch gears with no muss, fuss or fanfare.
Though Thursdays match against Agnes Szavay brought on a disappointing 6-2, 6-4 defeat, thanks to a lethargic first set appearance, Martic still demonstrated her skills and future weight to come back from 3-0 down to 3-4 in the 2nd set.
With everyone's head focused on Come Back Kids, I'm bucking the trend and looking to new players coming through the ranks. Petra says her goal in 2010 is to break the top 50. I'm not betting against her.
Reared on a diet of sports, travel and bad TV.
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