 |
| Jasmine Paolini |
Paolini jumped the "big hurdle" (the literal meaning of Ozeki in Japanese) by reaching back-to-back finals at grand slam tournaments, while Krejcikova won her second grand slam title after the 2021 French Open, which grants an automatic Ozeki promotion.
Both players attain the second highest sanyaku (=championship) rank at the relatively advanced tennis player age of 28. Paolini is a genuine late starter: until one year ago, she had not been in the world's top 40, and had never gone beyond the second round at a grand slam tournament. Then this year things suddenly came together: Paolini won the Dubai championships and the Italian Open, reached the final at Roland Garros, now again at Wimbledon. A comparatively short tennis player at 1.63 m (5'4'') , the charismatic Paolini compensates a lack of natural power with speed, versatility, and exuberant energy.
Krecjikova started her tennis career as a doubles specialist: she has eight grand slam female doubles titles under her belt - all won alongside her compatriot Katerina Siniakova - and three mixed doubles titles. Since the French open victory in 2021, she has also been part of the singles elite, peaking as high as word #2 2022. Her aggressive, variable, powerful game serves Krejcikova well on all surfaces, and her prowess around the net - arguably a consequence of her doubles experience - adds an element that has become uncommon in modern tennis.
 |
| Barbora Krejcikova |
Krejcikova's inspiration has been her former coach, the late Jana Novotna: a former Wimbledon winner and Ozeki herself. Krejcikova has now caught up with her mentor on both counts.
Elsewhere in the ladies' game, Ozeki Aryna Sabalenka had to sit out the tournament and hence missed her chance for a Yokozuna (=grand champion) promotion.
No comments:
Post a Comment