If the past week is anything to go by, Olivia Rogowska has more than enough talent to match it with the world’s best, despite losing a tough first round match at the French Open.
Rogowska lined up on Sunday against former world number 31 Magdalena Rybarikova in her first round match and showed in the first set how damaging her game can be, taking it to love.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better start. I was seeing the ball like a basketball,” Rogowska said.
“I was playing really, really well – every shot that I was going for, somehow I was making it.”
However the Slovakian stepped it up in the second and third sets taking the match 0-6 7-5 6-2.
“To be honest, I think that got me a little nervous. I was thinking ‘My God, I’m playing so well. I hope I can keep this up.’
“I started thinking about that and made a mistake on a few shots and got a little bit tight.
“But I felt like she definitely picked up her game, started serving better and making two, three extra balls.
“She played well on the big points … but (I’m) extremely disappointed I couldn’t close that out.
Despite the loss, there are promising signs for the Australian.
“To know I can play a good standard of tennis, hopefully I can get confidence through that,” she said.
Rogowska made it to the main draw at Roland Garros after a scintillating display in qualifying, the first time the 23 year old has qualified for a Grand Slam off her own racquet.
A wild card from Tennis Australia, via a reciprocal agreement with the French Tennis Federation, was granted to Rogowska in her previous outing at Roland Garros in 2009.
“It’s always been a goal of mine to qualify for a Grand Slam and now I’ve done it, “Rogowska said.
“To get a wildcard is a lot easier, but I’m really proud I got through and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”