On July 13th, Beijing time, the draw for the WTA Palermo tournament was released. Beside the name of Chinese tennis star Zheng Qinwen, we saw a familiar name: former French Open singles runner-up Elanni. This is Elanni’s 15th career appearance at Palermo, where she has won the title twice, in 2008 and 2012.
After accompanying Paolini through her Wimbledon singles final, Elanni rushed to Palermo to compete, with her aim being to regain confidence on clay courts. “I’m not well-prepared, having just arrived from London today. Indeed, the draw isn’t favorable for me (facing defending champion Zheng Qinwen in the first round), but I doubt it will be worse than last year.” Last year, Elanni lost 12 games in a row at this event, falling to Zheng Qinwen with two 0-6 sets.
“Let’s see how it goes. Zheng Qinwen is a player with amazing potential, incredibly strong physically. She’s the defending champion and is in better form compared to last year. I’ve played many singles and doubles matches this year, performing reasonably well, and I’ll do my best to cause her some trouble. When I step onto the court, I am full of confidence.”
Regarding this tournament, Elanni expressed that no matter how formidable the opponent, she hopes to rediscover her feel for clay-court tennis. “The main task is to regain the sensation of striking the ball on clay. Playing on clay and grass are different, and I will work hard to adjust as soon as possible.”
Elanni and Paolini will team up to compete in the women’s doubles event at the Paris Olympic Games. They won titles together at the WTA500 Linz and WTA1000 Rome tournaments this year and reached the finals at the French Open, making them strong contenders for medals in the women’s doubles event at the Paris Olympics. “Since last year, my top priority has been to qualify for the Olympics. Our doubles partnership is quite good, and now we need to return to clay courts and rediscover the right feeling.”
Speaking about her compatriot Paolini, who has made rapid progress this year, Elanni lavished praise on the younger player: “Paolini is an athlete with a great desire to improve; she has grown significantly. She likes to seek advice from me, absorbing experience like a sponge. Her level is high, and I know she can achieve remarkable results.”
(Written and edited by Dato)
Voice_Elanni: With the Olympics as a goal, I want to rediscover my touch on clay. Author：Sports UEFA.Please indicate the source when reproduced：https://www.sportsuefa.com/tennis-hotline/21029.html
