[11] Anastasija Sevastova (LAT) vs. [194] Katarzyna Kawa (POL)
It’s easy to win a set and even come close to winning the match against a top ranked player; however, taking that last step across the finish line is not so easy. That last step is made even more difficult when you lack experience, and you are low on confidence. Kawa had the match on her racquet after she took the first set and went up a break lead in the second set. All Kawa had to do was hold her nerves and hold her serve and she would have won her first career WTA singles title.
The Optimist Thinks
Kawa should not be too disappointed, after all she was up against the number one seed; yet, the realist says, “Be disappointed! However, learn from the experience and use this loss to motivate you and keep going because you came so close considering it was your first trip to the main draw”. I don’t know much about Kawa and usually the commentators would fill you in on the player’s background throughout the match, but they seemed just as clueless about the Polish player as I was. I can say that she played well, quite intelligent in her shot selections; however, her serve needs some work.
Never Too Late For Success
At twenty-six, Kawa made her first career WTA main draw, why? She got all the way to the final, almost knocking out the crowd favorite in the inaugural Baltic Open. The match changed on two crucial line calls that went the way of the Latvian and somehow, those calls changed the course of history. Sevastova seemed to get a new life after she escaped the break point against her serve and Kawa seemed to lose her belief. She never regained her focus and against a top notched player, it was a recipe for disaster. Invigorated once she took the second set, Sevastova elevated her game just enough to edge pass Kawa 3-6, 7-5, 6-4.
SOURCE OF IMAGES: Zimbio.com (all images by Getty Images/Europe: Anastasija Sevastova)
