Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva embraced her role as the outsider as she overcame home favourite Zeynep Sonmez to reach the Australian Open fourth round for the first time in her career.
The 23-year-old Sonmez had the backing of a vocal crowd in Melbourne, hoping to become the first Turkish woman in the Open era to reach the last 16 of a Grand Slam singles event. However, world number 94 Putintseva remained composed and edged past her opponent in a tense contest lasting more than two and a half hours.
Crowd Support And Rising Expectations
Sonmez entered the match buoyed by passionate support, with fans urging her on throughout the contest.
Her run in Melbourne had already marked a significant milestone for Turkish tennis, and expectations were high as she stepped onto centre court.
Despite showing flashes of quality and resilience, she struggled to break Putintseva’s rhythm at key moments.
Putintseva’s Unusual Way To Stay Calm
Putintseva revealed she relied on an unusual mental trick to stay focused during the match.
“It’s kind of funny but I was singing a Russian song, an old movie about rabbits,” she said.
“It has nothing to do with anything. It’s just about rabbits who eat the grass. I was distracting myself with this.”
She added: “Usually it’s Taylor Swift, but here it has been the rabbit song. I don’t know why.”
The quirky approach helped her block out the noise and maintain concentration under pressure.
Emotions On Display After Victory
After sealing the win, Putintseva did not hide her feelings and celebrated openly in front of the crowd.
She danced near her chair, drawing mixed reactions from spectators.
“The dancing in the end was just because I was too tired and the crowd were whistling,” she explained.
“What can you do? You just have to dance through it.”
Historic Step Forward
With this victory, Putintseva has reached the fourth round of the Australian Open for the first time, marking a major achievement in her career.
Overcoming both a talented opponent and a partisan crowd highlighted her mental strength and experience.
As she moves deeper into the tournament, her ability to stay composed in hostile environments could prove crucial in the rounds ahead.
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