By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Tuesday, January 9, 2024
It has been per week of maximum feelings for Arina Rodionova.
The Australian No. 1 upset former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin 7-5, 7-6(7) to achieve the spherical of 16 on the Brisbane Worldwide final week and rise to a brand new career-high rating of No. 104 within the WTA Stay Rankings.
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That profession peak preceded a painful fall.
On Tuesday, the seventh-seeded Rodionova was knocked out of Australian Open qualifying in a 6-3, 6-4 loss to 146th-ranked Frenchwoman Leolia Jeanjean.
Afterward, the 34-year-old Rodionova, who was bypassed for an Australian Open wild card regardless of being the nation’s No. 1 ranked lady and successful 79 matches throughout all ranges in 2023, ripped into Tennis Australia for what she feels is disrespect.
The Russian-born Rodionova, who acquired Australian citizenship in January of 2014, mentioned the TA is “very happy with my consequence at the moment” and concluded “it is rather clear to me that I’m not properly preferred” given Tennis Australia opting towards giving her a main-draw wild card.
“The one remorse I’ve from at the moment is I believe I gave Tennis Australia one thing to have fun … I believe they’re very happy with my consequence at the moment, and that’s what makes me upset,” Rodionova informed the Australian media. “I did all the things I may to presumably deserve [an Australian Open wild card].”
Requested if she felt the TA’s tact was private, Rodionova informed the Australian media “completely.”
“It began years and years in the past, and there have been so many incidents that occurred between myself and folks in cost,” Rodionova mentioned. “It is rather clear to me that I’m not preferred, and it’s not simply clear to me, it’s clear to each single Australian tennis participant.”
Rodionova isn’t the one outstanding Aussie ignored for an AO main-draw wild card.
Doubles world No. 1 Storm Hunter, a stalwart on the Australian Billie Jean King Cup crew, was additionally bypassed for a predominant draw wild card.
Hunter, presently ranked No. 179 in singles, is scheduled to face 2022 AO quarterfinalist Kaia Kanepi in her AO singles qualifying opener on Court docket No. 3 on Wednesday.
Former world No. 20 Daria Saville, presently ranked No. 175, was granted an Australian Open main-draw wild card by Tennis Australia, together with fellow Aussies Kimberly Birrell, Olivia Gadecki and world No. 200 Taylah Preston.
Rodionova informed Australian media she has no downside with Saville receiving a wild card, her problem is she believes the TA knew all alongside it could not give her a wild card but strung her alongside beneath the guise of her Brisbane outcomes factoring right into a last determination.
The truth, Rodionova asserts, is the TA had no intention on awarding her a main-draw wild card regardless of the actual fact she’s on the verge of creating historical past because the oldest lady to ever crack the WTA Prime 100 for the primary time.
“I didn’t actually have a difficulty with them not giving it to me, I had extra of a difficulty with they left it for thus lengthy they usually pretended they have been trying on the ends in Brisbane,” Rodionova mentioned. “The choice was in all probability made earlier than that they didn’t wish to give it to me, and they need to’ve introduced it manner earlier than as a result of it simply introduced such pointless stress to myself, additionally to Dasha, she was additionally eager about it.”
Picture credit score: Chris Hyde/Getty
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