Tsurenko feeling old

Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko said fighting negative thoughts on her 30th birthday a day earlier was just as tough as her match with Aleksandra Krunic on Friday, which she sealed with an 11-9 victory in the deciding third set.

“I think the main mental problem yesterday was that I had a birthday.

“I’m now 30, and I had so many things in my head that . . . it was one of the worst days of my life,” she said.

“I wasn’t feeling well since two days ago.

“I start to think that I’m 30 and I don’t have much time left to play on tour and all these bad things.

“And it was really tough mentally to play, and my body was not listening to me,” she said.

“And the only thing I wanted to do is to finish and quit that match.

“But being a tennis player, at some point you think no, no, no. I’m going to fight.”

I start to think I’m 30 and I don’t have much time left to play on tour and all these bad things. It was really tough mentally