Seven Swedes were in the firing line on Wednesday for the second round of the Super Category Kungens Kanna & Drottningens Pris. Only one survived, but with great excitement and drama, what a match it was!
Tiana Tian Deng, from Norrtälje, competing for Salk, advanced from the first round after winning the tiebreak in the deciding set. On Wednesday, the pattern was repeated in the meeting with Finland’s favourite, Milla Kotamaeki. Tiana lost the first set but turned it around and won the next two 6–1, 7–6. In Thursday’s round of 16, she faces the Belgian player Marilyn Van Brempt. Dare we hope for a Swede in the “Last 8 Club”?
Another exciting match on the girls’ side tomorrow is between Dusica Popovski, Serbia, who meets Angelica Sara of Italy. Dusica is ranked number 20, and Angelica is number 18. The big question is whether the Serbian drop shots or the Italian fighting spirit decides the match.
A fun player to keep an eye on tomorrow in Kungens Kanna is the Frenchman Moise Kouame, who qualified for the competition and went from strength to strength. Edwin Averjanov from Estonia awaits him in the next match.
If you want to see high-level tennis and footwork beyond the ordinary, you should swing past the Royal Tennis Hall. Top-seeded Romanian Yannick Theodor Alexandrescou is two heads shorter than his opponent, but so far, no one in the competition has got close to him. On Thursday, he faces Alan Aiukhanov, ranked 48.
– We have the future stars from the WTA and ATP Tours here in The Royal Lawn Tennis Club of Stockholm during the final days of the Kungens Kanna & Drottningens Pris. Tomorrow the round of 16 will start at 10.30, says Tournament Director Joe Beaton.