Kontaveit conquers Venus in Madrid

MADRID, Spain - Anett Kontaveit made a career breakthrough on clay last season and has backed up those results in emphatic fashion to start the 2018 clay court swing. The Estonian youngster rallied from a set down to defeat former World No.1 Venus Williams, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the first round of the Mutua Madrid Open.

"I'd lost to her two times already, and so I had nothing to lose," she told WTA Insider after the match. "I didn't go out there feeling scared. I do feel like I can challenge anybody here, so I was feeling good to go on the court. It was tough today because she's a big hitter, but I didn't feel tired from Stuttgart. I went home, rested, and was able to start over again."

Kontaveit made her first big stage surges at the 2017 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, where she earned her first Top 10 win over Garbiñe Muguruza en route to the quarterfinals; a year later, she went a round better and brought that form to the Caja Magica.

"Every match in Stuttgart gave me a little bit of confidence, and now I'm feeling really good on clay, like I can beat anyone. I have more of an inner confidence, and that helped me feel good closing out today's match in the third set."

Surrendering the only break of the opening set, the World No.29 responded in kind to level the match, surviving a long seventh game in which she saved four break points. 

"The points are a little bit longer on clay, and I like to get into them, and play them out. That part of my game has definitely had to develop over the years where I'm constructing points more than I used to. That definitely helps me on clay."

Exchanging breaks to kick off the decider, Kontaveit cleared another long service game at 1-2, saving three more break points and riding that momentum through the last five games, clinching the upset after an hour and 54 minutes on Court Manolo Santana.

"I got out of some tough situations and the match turned around. I found my energy again because I felt like I'd lost it at the start of the third set. Once I found it again, I was trying to keep that positive energy up, and that helped me in the end."

The Estonian's supreme aggression paid off in the end, matching 42 unforced errors with 42 winners and maintaining a perfect break point conversion rate to book her spot in the second round, where she will face either Aliaksandra Sasnovich or qualifier Danielle Collins.

"Last year, I was just coming up and everything was so new, and this year is a totally different situation. I have this little bit of experience and I'm just trying to take it very easy, match by match. I'm feeling really free and ready to challenge anybody, and I'm liking clay a lot again."

Sasnovich turned heads with her run to the Brisbane International final back in January while Collins was equally stunning at the Miami Open, where she reached the semifinals.