'Doubt creeping in': Aussie's stunning admission at US Open
Australia's Ajla Tomljanovic admits she is playing with a renewed sense of confidence after booking her spot in the third round of the US Open in style.
Fresh off her Wimbledon quarter-final appearance, Tomljanovic held her nerve to claim a gutsy straight-sets win over Croatian Petra Martic.
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Tomljanovic is unseeded at Flushing Meadows but the Aussie showed tremendous composure to earn a 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 victory against the 30th seed.
Ranked 46th, Tomljanovic has had a breakout grand-slam season, making at least the 32 at consecutive majors for the first time.
With nine breaks of serve throughout the match, Martic twice served for the first set but Tomljanovic denied her.
Tomljanovic converted five of her six break points while also producing a dominant serving display with 71 per cent of her first serves finding the mark.
Time and again the Aussie came up clutch at crucial moments in the contest in a testament to a new mindset the 28-year-old admits has been paying dividends.
"I think a few things have clicked in my mind, which is that you know I believe I can I can compete with the best, and actually win," Tomljanovic said.
The Aussie made the frank admission that doubt in her own game and ability has let her down in the past, but insisted that a newfound level of confidence has her primed for a charge into the latter stages of the US Open.
"In the past I believed but when it came down to it, there was always more doubt creeping in when pressure situations would arise.
"Now I feel like I have a plan when I go out there and believe I can execute it and that's been the biggest thing that's shifted."
Ajla Tomljanovic faces tough third round test
Tomljanovic will have to channel that belief into her third round clash with two-time grand slam runner-up Karolina Pliskova, who overcame American young gun Amanda Anisimova in one of the matches of the tournament so far.
Pliskova saved a match point before prevailing in a sea-sawing three-set thriller, 7-5, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (7).
The towering Czech hit 24 aces in the victory over the 20-year-old Anisimova, which is the most in a women's singles match at Flushing Meadows since 1998.
Tomljanovic had never previously gone beyond the second round in New York and will have her work cut out against the Czech fourth seed.
The Aussie asid she was happy with her second round victory but admitted there were some kinks to iron out before the Pliskova showdown.
"I felt like the match was a little bit ugly from both sides," said the Australian women's No.2.
"I was happy to produce some good tennis when it mattered.
"I was down a break a few times in both sets and hung in there and the fact that I broke her a few times gave me confidence.
"I'm definitely happy that I got it done in a straight sets."
with AAP
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