Cabrera’s rise calls for serious debate
TWO breakthrough WTA quarterfinal results have Townsville teenager Lizette Cabrera in line for a Brisbane International wildcard on merit.
While Tennis Australia’s wildcard allocations to summer tournaments have sometimes had to go on the basis of potential rather than WTA Tour results, Cabrera has almost improved her ranking more than 70 places to No. 139 this year.
The 19- year- old from Brisbane notched another notable win on Tuesday at an ITF tournament in Taiwan when she beat Italy’s former world No. 5 Sara Errani 3- 6, 7- 5, 6- 2.
TA has two women’s main draw wildcards to issue for the December 31- January 7 tournament.
With Ash Barty and Sam Stosur ( Brisbane International) and Daria Gavrilova ( Hopman Cup) all direct entries for events in the first week of the season, the Australian women next on the rankings needing wildcards are Arina Rodionova ( No. 116) and Cabrera ( 139).
Cabrera started the year at No. 216, winning her first WTA match in Hobart in the second week of the season with the aid of a TA wildcard, and has improved her rankings 993 places since the start of 2016.
TA last year gave one of the two Brisbane wildcards to Croatian Donna Vekic as part of a reciprocal swap of wildcards with an overseas tournament, leaving Cabrera to enter qualifying at Tennyson, where she failed to make the main draw.
“I’d love to play in Brisbane – being from Brisbane, it’s one of my goals,’’ Cabrera, 19, said.
“This year, the travel I’ve done has been insane, so it would be nice to play at home.
“I have to finish the year well in my last four tournaments and hope one ( a wildcard) comes my way.’’
Cabrera has two wins over top- 50 players this year, with her victory world No. 31 Anett Kontaveit on the way to a WTA Guangzhou quarterfinal berth in September being her best according to ranking.
Also in China, she later made the quarters in Hong Kong, losing in three tight sets to Australian No. 2 Daria Gavrilova.
“I played qualifying for a lot of the WTA events this year and the ( three foreign) Grand Slams – really, I was winning a round every week or a few matches here and there,’’ Cabrera said.
“The WTA is a huge step- up from the ( smaller) ITF tournaments I had been playing. I had to get used to the heavier hitting and their ability to play longer rallies, over and over again.’’
“I kept putting myself in the right positions and I thought eventually it would swing for me.
“My mentality, I’m tough and not letting the wins get me too high and the lows getting me too low. It’s been a big improvement on that score.
“To almost beat Dash ( Gavrilova), it was a pretty cool match. Seeing her and Ash doing so well is really motivating for me.’’