Daria Saville and Ajla Tomljanovic are trying to keep their expectations in check as they prepare to compete at Wimbledon 2024.
London, Great Britain, 1 July 2024 | Leigh Rogers
As the countdown to main-draw action beginning at Wimbledon 2024 draws to a close, Australia’s three contenders in the women’s singles competition can’t wait to begin.
Spirits were high as they chatted to Australian media at the All England Club over the weekend, opening up about their mindsets as they prepare to take to the court at the prestigious grass-court Grand Slam.
Ajla Tomljanovic
A winner in eight of her 10 grass-court matches in the past month, the 31-year-old returns to Wimbledon with encouraging momentum. However, after missing last year’s tournament through injury, Tomljanovic is trying not to put too much pressure on herself.
“I’ve just tried to manage my expectations a bit because they tend to go a bit high,” she acknowledged. “Sometimes I don’t feel like it’s fair to myself, because I’ve gone through a lot of stuff in the last 18 months and just to be here should be an amazing thing for me.”
The world No.136 demonstrated her grass-court prowess to reach her first WTA singles final in more than five years at Birmingham a fortnight ago.
“My coach was preparing me for the final and my dad said ‘Listen, you’ve done exceptionally well, you need to just give it your all and not really think about winning your first title’,” Tomljanovic said.
“And my mum jumped in and she’s like, ‘Ajla, I thought you overachieved even by making the quarters’. It wasn’t a mean way. It was just like she knows how hard it’s been and how little I’ve played, but it was just funny to hear mum’s perspective, dad’s, coach and then me – we’re such a funny bunch.”
Tomljanovic, a two-time quarterfinalist at Wimbledon, begins her eighth main-draw campaign against world No.14 Jelena Ostapenko on Tuesday.
> READ: Australian hopes handed brutal draws at Wimbledon 2024
Daria Saville
Asked to share her favourite Wimbledon memory, Saville responded: “Not from last year, that’s for sure.”
The Aussie No.1’s opening-round match with Brit Katie Boulter was interrupted by protesters, who covered the court in confetti.
“That wasn’t fun, but it is a good one to tell everyone,” she said. “I could add a bit of sauce on it and exaggerate it.
“I’ve only made third round once (in 2018), so in terms of…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Tennis.com.au – Tennis Australia…