By Richard Pagliaro | @TennisNow | Sunday, January 12, 2025
Photograph credit score: Cameron Spencer/Getty
Donna Vekic carried concern and depth onto court docket for her Australian Open opener.
These components and her booming forehand helped propel Vekic to her first win of the season.
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The 2024 Wimbledon semifinalist Vekic defeated Diane Parry 6-4, 6-4 to roll into the Australian Open second spherical for the eighth time.
Vekic spent the offseason coaching in Los Angeles and stated afterward her ideas had been together with her coach, Pam Shriver, who’s house in Southern California out of concern for the continuing fires.
“It is a very troublesome scenario for her. She’s house in L.A.,” Vekic stated of Shriver. “Her home is okay for now, however so many have misplaced all the pieces, and it is a horrible scenario.
“We had been doing our pre-season in L.A. this 12 months, so we had been simply there two weeks in the past. So I actually can not consider what’s occurring. We’re very unhappy that she’s not right here with us, however yeah.”
In Shriver’s absence, coach Sascha Bajin, who previously labored with Naomi Osaka, Dayana Yastremska and Alycia Parks, is in Vekic’s nook. The veteran Vekic stated Bajin is bringing loads of constructive power.
“A variety of depth. A variety of depth,” Vekic stated of Bajin. “Good power. We had a extremely good pre-season. We labored actually exhausting, so I used to be somewhat bit upset that I misplaced first three matches of the season. I used to be, like, No, come on, we labored so exhausting. I used to be working towards so nicely.
“However for me, even when I misplaced at the moment, it would not have modified quite a bit. I feel he is an awesome coach, has lots of expertise, and hopefully we will have some good outcomes collectively.”
