“Biggest success of my career,” says Laura Samson on making the quarterfinals
Rising Czech star Laura Samson has made it to the quarterfinals of Livesport Prague Open 2024 just days after making her WTA debut. The sixteen-year-old won her second game of the tournament against Kateřina Siniaková 1-6 7-5 6-3 and is sure to break into the Top 500 of the WTA World Ranking.
“I’m not
really sure how many places I’ll move up,” she said after her winning match
against the current World No. 38, “at the start of the year my goal was to make
it into the Top 500.”
“This is
definitely the biggest success of my career. I’m so happy and really enjoyed
the match. I relaxed after the first set and everything just fell into place
after that, that was the main thing.”
After a
tough first set in which she only won one game, the young Czech player changed outfit
and came out onto the court full of new energy. “I felt like a new person, it
gives me the feeling of it suddenly being a new game,” explained Samson.
She played
her first WTA game on a smaller court of the Sparta Prague Tennis Club, but
this time, she took her win on the centre court. “It feels different playing in
front of so many people. I also really noticed the music,” said Samson who came
out onto the court to an Eminem tune.
“I forgot
about it, but I remember picking an Eminem song because songs like these really
motivate me in the moment,” she added. Samson will face Russian Oksana
Selekhmeteva in the quarterfinals.
Livesport
Prague Open 2024 (women, CZE, 267 082 USD, clay)
Round of
16 singles
LAURA
SAMSON (634.) –
KATEŘINA SINIAKOVÁ (38.) 1:6, 7:5, 6:3
Photo: Livesport Prague Open / Pavel Lebeda (sport-pics.cz)
Author: eSports