Dubai
In this age when tennis players rely more on power than finesse, Agnieszka Radwanska stands out with her cerebral game and clever use of the court. The 24-year-old, who reached the Wimbledon final in 2012, a year that also saw her winning the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, made another career breakthrough earlier this year with her first semi-final appearance at the Australian Open. And as she prepares to wrest back her title in Dubai, the World No. 4 tells XPRESS why she believes her showing at the year’s first Grand Slam augurs well for the rest of the season.
“It was a great achievement, making the semis therefor the first time. It’s a great result for me and gives me a lot of confidence for the rest of the season,” she said.
Incidentally, Radwanska lost to Dominika Cibulkova, a player she had beaten 6-0, 6-0 about the same time a year back. So what was different about her opponent this time around?
“She was playing great tennis the whole tournament, with some good matches under her belt. She definitely played very well against me and I didn’t play that good in the semi-final. But you have to give her credit, she was playing really well,” she said.
It was the Polish star’s second semi-final appearance as she keeps working on her game in pursuit of her first Grand Slam title.
“Well…I think there is always something to work hard on, whether you are 18, 25 or 30 years old. So of course, I am going to do everything in my power to win a Grand Slam one day,” she said.
One of the striking features of Radwanska’s game is her ability to come up with incredible shots at crucial moments and the former World No. 2 puts it down to her instinct. “I think it’s instinctive. Tennis is a very fast game and you don’t have so much time to think, so it’s more of a reaction,” she said.
The fan’s favourite will again be hoping to qualify for the year-end championships and believes Dubai is a very important stop on the Road to Singapore.
“It’s always great to come back to the city where you have won the title before. I am really looking forward to playing here. Of course, Dubai is a great city and I am looking forward to being there,” she said.
