Ajla Tomljanovic compares the crowd reception at the US Open this year having gone out last year to boos and whistles for retiring Serena Williams

Ajla Tomljanovic defeated Panna Udvardy 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 in the first round of the US Open 2023.

Ajla Tomljanovic compares the crowd reception at the US Open this year having gone out last year to boos and whistles for retiring Serena Williams

Ajla Tomljanovic and Serena Williams (Image via: Blogspot.com)

Australian tennis star Ajla Tomljanovic marked her triumphant return to the world of tennis today as she defeated Hungarian Panna Udvardy 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 in her first-round match of the ongoing US Open. She was kept off the court for nine long months by a mortifying knee injury but is on the course of a massive comeback. 

Considering the fact that Ajla Tomljanovic registered arguably the biggest win of her career in the very last edition of the US Open, this tournament is really important for her, and it is poetic justice that she is making her return in this tournament. She defeated Serena Williams in the third round of the US Open last year in an intense battle that ended up retiring the 23-time Grand Slam title winner. 

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After her win against Panna Udvardy today, Tomljanovic compared the crowd reception to the one she received last year in her match against Serena Williams. Last year, the crowd was booing her, and that was understandable as she beat and retired the favorite Serena Williams. However, the crowd was very supportive of her during her win against Panna Udvardy. 

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“That roar when I came out compared to hers, I was like, ‘Oh my God’. It felt super nice. I guess everyone from last year felt bad so they were like we’re going to cheer this year. This girl hasn’t played for 10 months,” she said, comparing the two. 

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Ajla Tomljanovic faces Elena Rybakina in Round 2 of US Open 2023

Ajla Tomljanovic (Source: ABC)
Ajla Tomljanovic (Source: ABC)

After her win over Panna Udvardy in round 1 of the US Open, Ajla Tomljanovic will be facing fourth seed Elena Rybakina in the second match. It is going to be an insanely difficult match for her, as unlike Ajla, Elena Udvardy has been at the top of her game for quite some time now. 

The last time both players met was in the 2022 Wimbledon Open’s quarterfinal. Rybakina emerged victorious in that match as she defeated Ajla 4-6, 6-2, 6-3. It was one of the highest achievements of Ajla in a Grand Slam so far in her career. It is now to be seen whether Rybakina will be able to avenge her defeat in the Round 2 match against Elena Rybakina. 

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