Smooth two-set victory

Grabher celebrates successful comeback in Sardinia

Julia Grabher had won one tournament title and eight matches in a row in Santa Margherita di Pula in Sardinia before she was stopped by an abdominal muscle injury at the beginning of October. After a short break, the Vorarlberg native is back - with another sense of achievement.

Julia Grabher wanted to be back in the tournament next week at the latest after her abdominal muscle strain. But now the 28-year-old has dared to make a comeback this week - with success. 

The former 54th-ranked player in the world, who had even dropped out of the top 1000 after a complicated wrist operation, but has since managed to fight her way back up to position 577, defeated local hero Angelica Raggi (WTA no. 800) 6:3 and 6:0 in just 83 minutes in the second and final qualifying round of the ITF W35 tournament in Santa Margherita di Pula.

Nine games in a row
Raggi was still able to keep up to some extent in the first set up to 3:3. After that, however, Austria's former number one impressively demonstrated the difference in class, not allowing the 25-year-old Italian a single game and converting her first match point.

Old acquaintance now awaits
Grabher now faces Silvia Ambrosio in the first round of the main competition. She has fond memories of the 27-year-old Italian, as their only previous encounter was just over two weeks ago. Back then, the Vorarlberg native beat the world number 388 in the semi-finals 3:6, 6:4, 6:4 on her way to winning the tournament in Santa Margherita di Pula.