World No. 20 Liudmila Samsonova commented on her victory over Caroline Dolehide in the second round of the WTA 1000 tournament in Madrid (6/4, 6/4).
She said, “Tactically, I played very well today, and that helped a lot. The first match is always difficult, so I`m very, very happy that I won.”
When asked if she was concerned in the second set that her opponent might turn the match around and force a third set, Samsonova replied, “Yes, that could have happened, of course. I liked how I focused on my serve and started fighting again [after dropping the break].”
Regarding what she knew about Caroline Dolehide before the match, having not played her previously, Samsonova stated, “She plays very well on these courts. She likes it here. Apparently, the conditions are similar to Guadalajara. Her serve is certainly not easy. I knew it would be a very tough match.”
It`s worth noting that in 2023, Dolehide reached the final of the WTA 1000 event in Guadalajara, which is the best result of her singles career.
