Rising Aussie star Maya Joint continues to make waves as Donna Vekic's dismal form continues at Merida Open Akron
WTA
Mirra Andreeva is the top ranked teenager on the WTA Tour but it is Maya Joint who is next up albeit just outside of the top 100. She continues to show though why she is a player to watch as she saw off fifth seed Donna Vekic at Merida Open Akron.
Vekic's poor form continues with the 18-year-old controlling the match and easing through 6-1, 6-2 to reach the Last 16 at the WTA 500 tournament meaning that in this case it will gleam a lot of points in her direction as she aims to charge into the top 100.
Joint now faces off against Elina Avanesyan who took down Jessica Bouzas Maneiro also to reach the Last 16. She becomes as a result the fourth teenager to concede three or fewer games en route to a victory over a top 20 opponent after Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff and Mirra Andreeva. So certainly in good company.
Vekic on the other hand conceded her fourth straight defeat and won't enter Indian Wells high on confidence at all. She had the year of her life in 2024 and perhaps this is the come down from that.
A player that perennially didn't live up to her potential, she found it later on in her career and sealed an Olympic silver medal and excelled in Grand Slams last year. But this latest defeat underlines a dismal start to 2025.
Elsewhere Paula Badosa also sealed victory. It was the second seed that triumphed 6-2, 6-1 in an emphatic win. The Spaniard saw off Jaqueline Cristian. A player high on confidence in Badosa winning vs a player low on confidence in Vekic being defeated is the tale.
She now takes on Daria Saville with Rebecca Sramkova or Beatriz Haddad Maia likely awaiting in the semi-finals later this week. Emma Navarro who is top seed has yet to start her campaign but with Vekic losing will likely have to face Joint or Avanesyan in the semi-finals.
Match Statistics Vekic vs. Joint
| Vekic | VS | Joint |
|---|---|---|
| Service | ||
| 1 | Aces | 1 |
| 3 | Double Faults | 1 |
| 48% (31/64) | 1st Service Percentage | 67% (40/60) |
| 65% (20/31) | 1st Service Points Won | 73% (29/40) |
| 30% (10/33) | 2nd Service Points Won | 55% (11/20) |
| 73% (11/15) | Break Points Saved | 100% (2/2) |
| 43% (3/7) | Service Games | 100% (8/8) |
| Return | ||
| 28% (11/40) | 1st Return Points Won | 35% (11/31) |
| 45% (9/20) | 2nd Return Points Won | 70% (23/33) |
| - | Break Points Saved | - |
| Other | ||
| 1h 20m | Match Duration | 1h 20m |
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Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
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