Ariane Hartono was unable to debut in the Grand Slam with a victory. 25-year-old Maplesi let American Amanda Anisimova escape in the first round of the Australian Open in Melbourne: 6-2, 4-6, 3-6.
Hartono, who won three qualifiers last week, started well and broke the world number 60 three times in the first set. It advanced 4-2 in the second set and a resounding upset emerged in preparation against five-year-old Anisimova, who reached the fourth round in 2019.
thought mill
But then things went wrong for our compatriot. “With a 6-2 4-2 lead I thought ‘Oh, she’s in it’,” said Hartono, disappointed. “I’m just a human and then the thought mill started to shift, so to speak. And it took advantage of that.”
Hartono is still a relatively new name in the tennis world. The tennis star trained in American College Tennis and only played her first tournament last September.
Team Nederlands
Last year it silently infiltrated the list of the top 200 global companies. She is now number three in the Netherlands, but did not make her debut in the national team.
“Elise Tamaila, the new captain, got really close to me,” Hartono admits. “I should think about it, but it’s definitely in the back of my mind. What will my decision be based on? Whether it fits my schedule and whether it’s a good time to do it.”
Hartono has Indonesian parents and has also been called by Indonesia in the past. “My uncle is a national coach in the National Federation and he has always asked me to represent that country. But I was born and raised in the Netherlands, so I also want to represent that country,” she asserts.
Party and Osaka convincingly through
World number one Ashleigh Barty got rid of Lesia Tsurenko within an hour. The Ukrainian survived two match points before winning her only match against the Australian: 0-6.1-6.
Naomi Osaka, the title holder, also secured a place in the next round without any issues. Two-time champion Melbourne 6-3 6-3 was too strong for Colombian Camila Osorio in her first match.
The 24-year-old Osaka aims to return to the absolute top after a season overshadowed by her media boycott of Roland Garros and mental issues. The Japanese slipped to 14th in the world rankings.
