Dubai: Austrian Tamira Paszek, after failing to make it to the main round of the Dubai Duty Free Women's Open, promises to fight her way to the top.
"It's always has been my favourite tournament. It's lovely being back and seeing all the people again. Unfortunately, I could not be here longer," she said after falling in the final hurdle of the qualifiers, losing 7-6, 3-6, 1-6 against Spaniard Nuria Llagostera Vives yesterday.
"I just know that I have pretty much played the worst two matches of my life here in the past two days. This tournament is over and done and I have to focus on the next one," the 20-year-old told Gulf News.
Paszek showed a lot of promise as a junior after reaching the girls' singles final at Wimbledon in 2005 and the US Open the following year.
She later claimed the Banka Koper Slovenia Open in Portoroz, defeating No 6 Maria Elena Camerin to become the youngest Tour singles titlist in 2006 and the seventh youngest all time to finish the season as No 181 in the WTA rankings.
The Austrian, subsequently, suffered a career-threatening inter-veterbral disc injury in her lower back in 2009. This led to a free fall in her rankings.
"I was close to a surgery and was off the Tour for a year. I am happy to be back, since I dropped from 35 to 360 in a year," said Paszek, who could break into the top-100 in the latest rankings.
"Now I may go to Doha or Indian Wells," she added.
