Marshall, Gadecki Downed in Perth Semis
Teenagers Olivia Gadecki and Amber Marshall unable to keep Aussie hopes alive in the Perth Tennis International semifinals, each falling to their more fancied international opponents.
Perth, WA, 23 February 2019 | Asher Packman
After a stellar run to the semifinals, South Australian Amber Marshall and Queensland wildcard Olivia Gadecki were both undone by more experienced players at the Perth Tennis international on Saturday.
Marshall took a while to get going in her match against American Jennifer Elie, leaving herself in a difficult position to recover. Elie, the No.4 seed, made the most of the situation, showing her guile in cruising to a 6-2 7-5 victory.
“I wasn’t playing my best in the first set, but after that I thought I competed really well,” Marshall, 17, said. “She’s quite a bit older than me and she’s got a lot more experience.
“I think I learned from today, I need to be a bit more disciplined in choosing the right shots. It was a good week for me, so I’m happy.”
Gadecki, a 16-year-old competing in her first ITF World Tennis Tour event, arrived in the last four on the back of upsetting top-seeded Frenchwoman Irina Ramialison earlier in the week. However, while she traded rallies early with the in-form Lulu Sun, she was unable to put the Swiss fourth seed under sufficient pressure, eventually succumbing 7-5 6-2.
Elie and Sun will now face each other in a rematch of last week’s final in Port Pirie, with 17-year-old Sun hoping to make it two consecutive Australian Pro Tour titles.
Live scores of all Australian Pro Tour events are available through www.tennis.com.au/protour/scores and for a live stream of selected events visit www.tennis.com.au/protour. For Australian Pro Tour updates follow @oztennisresults on Twitter.