BY MARK REY MONTEJO
While they are unfamiliar with the country’s “amihan” or Northeast Monsoon, it’s no big deal for foreign players with breezy weather condition back home, including Croatian tennis star Donna Vekic.
Vekic, the 2024 Paris Olympics silver medalist, sees no problem with the “Manila weather” when she begins her bid in the maiden WTA 125 Philippine Women’s Open (PWO) at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center Tuesday, Jan. 27.
“A lot of work has been done the last couple of weeks for all this to come together and the courts are very nice and it’s very humid and that I’m usually super game [for],” said Vekic.
“Yes [I like humid conditions],” the WTA No. 72 added.
Coming off an opening-round 6-4, 3-6, 0-6 loss to Russia’s Mirra Andreeva at the Australian Open, the 29-year-old Grand Slam veteran seeks to bounce back from her early dismal performance in the Happy Slam.
Vekic goes for a morale-boosting win against Japan’s Kyōka Okamura in the PWO opener.
“It’s the first time that I’m here in this type of position, but it’s not easy, disappointment in Australia, but like I said it means more to have matches to build some confidence,” said Vekic. “I hope I achieve it here.”
Helping her to move on from her early exit in Down Under is what the No. 4 seed Vekic feels of excitement has as she vies anew before the Filipino fans who showed some love to the Croatian netter after she battled and bowed to Alex Eala twice in the ASB Classic and Kooyong which both held in Australia.
“I played with her two times, I lost two times, I think she has a really good relationship with me, I don’t know her that well [yet], but she seemed a nice girl,” said Vekic.
“It’s the first time here in the Philippines… I’m excited to come back eventually,” Vekic continued.
She also hoped the Philippines would host a much bigger tennis competition.
“But it’s great to see tennis being played here and hopefully it will become a bigger tournament [in the future],” Vekic stressed.
