Sarah Rakotomanga takes the high ground

She should have been out of the WTA tournament in Guangzhou, China, but instead she is starring. Rescued as a lucky loser after losing in the qualifiers, Sarah Rakotomanga (129th in the world) jumped at the opportunity given to her, overcoming with character the No. 8 seed, Russia’s Polina Kudermetova (75th), with a score of 1-6, 6-1, 6-2.

After a start that would have cut the legs off quite a few (she lost the first set in less than 25 minutes) the young Frenchwoman of Malagasy descent shifted gears. In the second set, she cancelled three counterbreak points at 3-1, showing coolness and solidity at key moments. From there, she took over the game and no longer allowed space to her opponent.

At only 19 years old, Sarah has once again shown that she has what it takes to establish herself on the major circuit. And who knows, she may be able to replicate the feat in Sao Paulo, where a few months ago she won her first WTA title starting from the back of the pack.