15-Year-Old Australian Open Sensation Marta Kostyuk: “I’m Lucky to Have Ivan Ljubicic by My Side”
- by croatiaweek
- in Sport
Marta Kostyuk (Photo credit: Australia Open/Twitter)
15-year-old Marta Kostyuk became the youngest player to reach the third round of a Grand Slam tournament today at the Australian Open.
The Ukrainian sensation beat Australia’s Olivia Rogowska 6-3 7-5 to reach the third round and is the youngest to do so at a Grand Slam since Croatian Mirjana Lucic-Baroni’s done it at the 1997 US Open.
IN-CRED-I-BLE 🇺🇦🔥
15-year-old @marta_kostyuk becomes the youngest to reach 3R at a Grand Slam since 1997 d #Rogowska 6-3 7-5. #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/orKp97CK4m
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 17, 2018
Today’s victory was Kostyuk’s 11th in a row and she now has two wins in her opening two Grand Slam matches of her career.
One person the teenager thanks for her remarkable rise is her Croatian manager Ivan Ljubicic.
Kostyuk says that she is happy that Ljubicic, who is Roger Federer’s coach, is by her side.
“One month ago, whilst practicing at the Piatti tennis centre, I realised just how lucky I am to have him by my side – I was happy when he’s coming to my matches. When he is saying a word to me, you can’t imagine how I feel,” Kostyuk told Tennis View Magazine.
“Ivan is always helping me when he sees me. After every match he’s telling me what was wrong – not everything is right even when I win. He is giving me his experience.”
“Happy…just happy.”
Take a bow, @marta_kostyuk 👏#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/lnPu391ujc
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 17, 2018
Kostyuk says that with Ljubicic by her side and the advice he gives, she feels like she can beat anyone on court.
Another key person in her camp is her mother Talina who was a professional tennis player representing Ukraine in the 1990s.
“My mum was always working a lot as a coach, and the first time I went to the courts to train, I just understood that if I started doing tennis, I’d get to spend more time with my mum. So that was kind of my motivation – if I played tennis, I’d be around her more often”.
Kostyuk now faces No.4 seed Elina Svitolina in the final 32.
“I will just enjoy it. I think I’m going to play on the big court again. I will just try to show my best tennis, because I’m pretty sure, like, all my opponents, she will struggle a little bit, and I will try to use this. That’s what I’m going to do. I know a little bit how Elina is playing, but I still didn’t go to the details.”
Ivan Ljubicic with Roger Federer (Photo: Twitter)
Ljubicic and his agency S.A.M look after a number of talented players, including Croatian players Borna Coric, Duje Ajduković(16-years-old) and Dino Prižmić (12-years-old).
