Maya Joint outplayed Donna Vekic to achieve the final eight in Merida, guaranteeing three Australian girls will characteristic in concurrent WTA quarterfinals for the primary time since 2010.
Merida, Mexico, 27 February 2025 | Matt Trollope
Maya Joint has produced the most effective efficiency of her blossoming profession, permitting Donna Vekic simply three video games as she stormed into the WTA quarterfinals in Merida, Mexico.
Joint’s 6-1 6-2 win over the No.5 seed marks her first win over a top-20 participant, and propels her into the final eight at a tour-level event for the second time, after the Hobart Worldwide in January.
TEENAGE DREAMING ✨
18 12 months outdated and qualifier Maya Joint defeats Vekic 6-1, 6-2 and is into the subsequent spherical in Merida! #MeridaOpen pic.twitter.com/fhu398RvZF
— wta (@WTA) February 27, 2025
However whereas Hobart is a 250-level occasion, that is her first WTA quarterfinal at 500-level, a consequence boosting the 18-year-old’s dwell rating to world No.83.
She started the event in qualifying and has now gained 4 consecutive matches, surrendering simply 15 video games throughout 4 dominant performances.
“I believe her sport model fits my sport model, and I actually like these courts and the environment. Simply preferred every part about tonight,” stated Joint, who subsequent faces Elina Avanesyan.
“Feels superb… I’ve been in Merida as soon as earlier than, so I really like coming again right here.”
It had already been a breakthrough week for the younger Aussie, whose first-round important draw win over Julia Grabher ensured a top-100 debut in subsequent week’s WTA rankings.
This makes her simply the second teenager inside the highest 100 behind 17-year-old phenom Mirra Andreeva, the world No.9.
2 – For the reason that introduction of the Tier format in 1990, Maya Joint has develop into solely the second Australian teenager to concede three or fewer video games in victory over a WTA high 20 opponent, together with Jelena Dokic. Uncommon.#MeridaOpenAKRON | @WTAMeridaOpen1 @WTA @WTA_insider
— OptaAce (@OptaAce) February 27, 2025
Joint’s progress additionally has ensured one other milestone for Australian girls’s tennis.
By emulating Alja Tomljanovic and Daria Saville as WTA quarterfinalists this week, it’s the primary time in additional than seven years that three Australian girls have reached tour-level quarterfinals in the identical week.
MORE: Resurgent Tomljanovic, Saville into WTA quarterfinals
Joint joins Saville within the Merida quarterfinals, whereas Tomljanovic has reached the identical stage in Austin, Texas.
Again in October 2017, in Hong Kong, Saville, Sam Stosur and Lizette Cabrera all superior to the final eight. Saville went on to achieve the ultimate.
Extra notably, this week marks the primary time since 2010 there are three Australians showing in WTA quarterfinals throughout a number of occasions in the identical week.
4 – Since 2020, Maya Joint has develop into the fourth teenager to concede three or fewer video games en path to victory over a WTA high 20 opponent after Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff and Mirra Andreeva. Wow. #MeridaOpenAKRON | @WTAMeridaOpen1 @WTA @WTA_insider pic.twitter.com/I3pNbBQPaW
— OptaAce (@OptaAce) February 27, 2025
Virtually 15 years in the past, in July 2010, Stosur superior to the Stanford quarterfinals on the identical time Anastasia Rodionova and Jarmila Wolfe (then Gajdosova) reached the quarterfinals in Istanbul.
Kimberly Birrell got here extremely near guaranteeing 4 Aussie quarterfinalists in the identical week on the WTA Tour for the primary time since 1987.
But the Aussie No.1 fell in three tight units in Austin to Ena Shibahara, who booked a quarterfinal assembly with Tomljanovic.
Ought to Tomljanovic prevail, she is projected to affix Birrell, Joint and Olivia Gadecki within the high 100, which might symbolize the primary time 4 Australian girls have been inside this bracket on the identical time since 2019.
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