German Mona Barthel is the first player into the second round of the 2014 Hobart International.
The no. 6 seed defeated rising Ukrainian teen Elina Svitolina 6-4 6-3 in the first round today.
The players had to deal with trying conditions, as rain forced the players off court for over two hours when Svitolina was leading 3-2 in the first set.
Barthel admitted the rain delay was difficult.
“It was tough to keep concentrating, you never know how long the break will be,” she said.
Both players traded breaks throughout the first set, but it was Barthel who proved the steadiest in the final stages.
After taking the first set, her confidence continued to grow and she was able to close it out with strong shot-making that Tasmanian tennis fans have come accustom to in recent years.
“The last match I played against her I lost, so I’m pretty happy I won today,” Barthel said.
Barthel is hoping for a winning run at Hobart to set up her 2014 season.
She admitted to a disappointing end to 2013, where she was hindered by injuries and lost in the first round in her final four tournaments of the season.
Barthel also lost in the first round in Auckland last week, meaning today’s result snapped a five-match losing streak.
“The last couple of months were not so good,” Barthel said. “I think my tennis has improved, I just have to show it on the court.”
Barthel has a phenomenal record at Hobart’s Domain Tennis Centre. She won the title as a qualifier on debut in 2012 and followed it up with a runner-up finish last year.
She admitted her past success at the tournament gave her added confidence that she can regain her form here.
“It’s really nice to be back here. I have all the good memories here and I’m happy to have a win again, now I’m excited for the next round,” she said.
Barthel will face either Romanian Monica Niculescu or Slovak Republic’s Magdalena Rybarikova in the second round. They play their first round match tomorrow.
> Take a look at tomorrow’s schedule of play