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We're long overdue for another Tour Portrait of a WTA player. My apologies. Or blame IMG for closing and selling the rights to the local WTA tournament.
Here's a bit of a change of pace for TPN - perhaps the best collegiate player since Lisa Raymond - Diana Shnaider.
Back on the tailend of the Asia swing, 19 yo Diana Shnaider, the highest ranked college player since American Lisa Raymond played at Florida, won her first WTA title in Thailand, Sunday, getting her ranking back into the top 100 at 73.
The no flag lost points she'd gained with a good run at the Australian Open last year, but gained some of them back with this title. A lefty with a hard, flat forehand, she likes to take opponents wide to their usually right-handed backhand. Shnaider turned down the $140,000 in 2023 Australian Open prize money to stay amateur, in part because she wanted to play college tennis but also because, as she said candidly, "What am I going to do? Go back to Russia with no coach and not play?"
“She’s the best player to play college tennis in a while, for sure,” said Geoff Macdonald, the former women’s coach at Vanderbilt.
ESPN: It was Shnaider's second WTA final appearance, having previously lost to Ons Jabeur in Ningbo, China, in September. "I feel like I won a Grand Slam. I'm not lying, guys. This win will stay in my memory for a long time," Shnaider said. "The last two points were crazy. I kept doing everything that I could. I'm so proud of myself. I was running as fast as I could for every ball."
Some coverage of her:
I can't upload photos larger photos here at the moment, the TPN Forum being a bit balky. Hey, we're in good company, Meta's Instagram and some other of its sites are down.
Meanwhile, here's the TPN Tour Portrait link again:
https://www.tennisplayer.net/members...iana_shnaider/
Here's a bit of a change of pace for TPN - perhaps the best collegiate player since Lisa Raymond - Diana Shnaider.
Back on the tailend of the Asia swing, 19 yo Diana Shnaider, the highest ranked college player since American Lisa Raymond played at Florida, won her first WTA title in Thailand, Sunday, getting her ranking back into the top 100 at 73.
The no flag lost points she'd gained with a good run at the Australian Open last year, but gained some of them back with this title. A lefty with a hard, flat forehand, she likes to take opponents wide to their usually right-handed backhand. Shnaider turned down the $140,000 in 2023 Australian Open prize money to stay amateur, in part because she wanted to play college tennis but also because, as she said candidly, "What am I going to do? Go back to Russia with no coach and not play?"
“She’s the best player to play college tennis in a while, for sure,” said Geoff Macdonald, the former women’s coach at Vanderbilt.
ESPN: It was Shnaider's second WTA final appearance, having previously lost to Ons Jabeur in Ningbo, China, in September. "I feel like I won a Grand Slam. I'm not lying, guys. This win will stay in my memory for a long time," Shnaider said. "The last two points were crazy. I kept doing everything that I could. I'm so proud of myself. I was running as fast as I could for every ball."
Some coverage of her:
Clarey NYT earlier: Diana Shnaider Is Mixing College Tennis With the Pro Tour, for Now
Heavy Topspin on: How Diana Shnaider Beat Zhu Lin in Hua Hin
Heavy Topspin on: How Diana Shnaider Beat Zhu Lin in Hua Hin
I can't upload photos larger photos here at the moment, the TPN Forum being a bit balky. Hey, we're in good company, Meta's Instagram and some other of its sites are down.
Meanwhile, here's the TPN Tour Portrait link again:
https://www.tennisplayer.net/members...iana_shnaider/
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