The Tribune

By JONATHAN BURROWS

Tribune Sports Reporter

jburrows@tribunemedia.net

TENNIS player Sydney Clarke put together an impressive run at the multi-day Battles of Boca tournament in Boca Raton, Florida, at the Rick Macci Tennis Center this past weekend, fighting her way through multiple rounds to reach the semifinals of the $10,000 first place prize event.

Clarke’s tournament began on Saturday, when she faced Danielle Wei in the Round of 64, dominating with a 6-1, 6-3 victory to advance to the next round.

Day two began on Sunday with Clarke continuing her winning streak in the Round of 32 against Canada’s Lola Feher. She delivered another commanding performance, winning 6-2, 6-1 to move into the Round of 16.

Later that same day, Clarke faced her toughest game against Ariana Ikwueme in the Round of 16. The match went to a third-set tiebreaker, with Clarke ultimately winning 2-6, 6-4, 10-8 in a hard-fought battle that showed her mental toughness and ability to close when matches get tight.

Clarke’s momentum carried into Monday, when she took on Scarlett Fagan in the quarterfinals. After dropping the first set 2-6, Clarke rallied back to win the second set 6-3 before sealing the match with a 10-4 tiebreaker victory, securing her spot in the semifinals.

However, Clarke’s impressive run came to an end in the semifinals against top-seeded Sofiia Bielinska. Despite winning the first set 6-1, Clarke couldn’t maintain her advantage, falling 3-6, 6-6 in a match where Bielinska fought back to level the score.

“I’m very proud of myself with how I performed, I played two weeks ago and I lost in the quarter finals but this year I lost in the semifinals, so I’m very proud of the minor progress that I made,” said Clarke. “Although I didn't win it still I was proud of the determination I showed on the court.”

“I’ve been working on things these past two weeks, and this week I was more focused, I was a lot quicker, which is something I have been working on,” said Clarke.

“The job is never done, and I can't be satisfied or complacent, but it's definitely a step in the right direction,” said Clarke.     

Throughout the tournament, Clarke demonstrated competitive fire, winning four consecutive matches before her semifinal exit. Her performance at the Battles of Boca showcased her ability to compete at a high level and battle through adversity, particularly in her comeback victories against Ikwueme and Fagan.

“My next tournament in March in Mexico, I’m looking forward to it, especially because I've been making these small strides to get prepared for that. That is my main focus, and I’m hoping to claim my first WTA points, so that's going to be a challenge.,

“But I know that with the progress I've made for the year and being in that competition mode this past month, I do think I’ll be ready so that when I get there I’ll dominate,” said Clarke.