THE winning streak of world number 218 Lizette Cabrera continued at the weekend, with the Australian claiming the women’s Swan Hill International at the Ken Harrison Reserve.
It was Cabrera’s third straight title, having previously won the Mildura International last week and the Launceston ITF event, with her winning streak extending to 15 straight victories.
Despite there being $30,000 prizemoney up for grabs, there was more at stake for Cabrera in Sunday’s final, with her 6-4, 6-3 straight sets win over Japan’s Sakura Hosogi securing her a shot at the French Open later this year.
“I have been trying to avoid it and not look all week, but I think this (Sunday’s win) might get me into the French Open qualifiers,” Cabrera told The Guardian.
“I’ll go home for two weeks now to train and then I head to Japan for a few tournaments, before heading off to Europe.
“I was trying not to think about it too much, because in the past, I’ve put a lot of pressure on myself with my ranking, but I think I did a really good job these last three weeks of just day to day, doing the right things and trying to stay really present.
“A few people asked me what I needed to get to and I just was like, ‘no, I’m just trying to focus on what I need to do each day and not worry about what was next’.
“I feel like I’ve been on the tour for a while and I’ve had a few injury setbacks and a few tough years, but this is the best I played in a few years.
“I’m really happy with the way my body’s feeling, the way I’m striking the ball and it’s so good to see so many Aussie girls doing well right now, it gives me more motivation to keep pushing and hopefully have a really good year.”
It was a dominant week for Cabrera, with the tournament’s number one seed dropping just the one set from her five matches on her way to the title.
It was a similar display in the final from the 27-year-old, who after winning the first set 6-4, managed to break Hosogi’s serve early in the second set to take a 2-0 lead.
The only moment of vulnerability came when Hosogi broke straight back to get the game back on serve, before Cabrera returned fire to again break Hosogi’s serve and take a 3-1 lead, before closing out the second set and tournament with a 6-3 win.
“Winning 15 straight matches doesn’t happen very often, so I’m just trying to ride the wave and enjoy this moment,” Cabrera said after the match.
“It’s kind of nice to not have a tournament next week and instead really sit back and look back on what I’ve done with my team as well.
“I love playing on grass and hardcourt, they’re my favourite surfaces.
“It’s nice that Tennis Australia puts events on like today, it’s an amazing grass court, we really are lucky that surfaces like this are all in our backyard to play on.
“This is my first time in Swan Hill and I really like it here.
“I’m staying in housing two doors down and I walk here every morning. Danny (Gardner) does an amazing job with the courts and all the volunteers at the club, they put in so much work – as players, we’re so lucky to have tournaments like this to play in.”
Although it was Cabrera’s first time in Swan Hill, it was also the last time she will join forces with her coach Shannon Nettle, with the pair to part ways, with Nettle to take up a position within Tennis Australia.
“‘Sting’ (Nettle) has been an integral part of my career and I’m so glad I asked him to help train me in Mildura a year ago,” Cabrera said.
“He was coaching my best friend Gabby and Eleanor and I asked if he would be open to coaching me and every day, from that day on, we’ve been putting our head down and working quietly.
“I’m so lucky to have him as my coach and just because he’s heading on to work with Tennis Australia doesn’t mean our journey’s over, we’re still so close and he’s been like a father figure to me.”
In the men’s final, current world number 299 Blake Ellis proved too good for fellow Australian Dane Sweeney, with the tournament number 2 seed defeating his compatriot 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 in a pulsating final.
After struggling in the first set, Ellis found form in the second, with his big serve helping him even up the match to take the final into a third and deciding set.
Ellis then broke Sweeney’s serve early in the third and found himself serving for the tournament at 5-4, before Sweeney broke back to level the match, with both players nervily holding their service games to force a third set tiebreak.
From there, Ellis held his nerve, winning the 7-5 in the tiebreak to defeat Sweeney, who lost no admirers after earlier in the week defeating number one seed Omar Jasika and the highly fancied Jason Kubler.
The men’s doubles was won by Joshua Charlton and Ajeet Rai, who defeated Australian’s Jake and Jesse Delaney 6-4, 6-4, while the women’s doubles went the way of Japan’s Ayumi Miyamoto and Australia’s Stefani Webb, who defeated number one seeds Monique Barry and Elena Micic 6-3, 4-6 (10-4).
