Australian Casey Dellacqua’s comeback has gained some momentum with a hard-fought three-set win over Kazakhstan’s Galina Voskoboeva in the first round of the Moorilla Hobart International.
The 26-year-old wildcard has downed the world No.58 7-5 4-6 6-4 in blustery conditions at the Domain Tennis Centre.
Dellacqua is trying to regain the form that took her ranking to as high as No.39 in 2008, when she made the fourth round at the Australian Open and the third at the French Open and Wimbledon.
Currently No.134 in the world, she exited in the first round of the Brisbane International last week to Serb Bojana Jovanovski.
Shoulder and foot surgery set Dellacqua back over recent seasons but she won a record 30 straight matches on the second-tier Pro Tour last year and took some of that form into today’s match.
Dellacqua’s temperament proved better suited to the tough conditions than her 27-year old opponent’s, the Kazak player showing plenty of frustration over line calls and missed opportunities.
The Queenslander was broken in her first service game of the second and third sets but fought hard to get the crucial breaks, no more so than in converting her first match point when Voskoboeva hit a chance wide with an open court.