The qualifying rounds of any significant WTA tournament can often make or break a player’s career.
They provide a stumbling block for many players, or rather an opportunity to prove their worth in the upper echelons of the sport.
Some, like Victoria Mboko, have qualified for Grand Slam events before eventually making a name for themselves in the main draw.
One player, who shocked Jessica Pegula in the first round of Wimbledon, looked set to move onwards and upwards following an excellent period of form.
However, she has stumbled at the first hurdle in Cincinnati Open qualifying.
Elisabetta Cocciaretto loses in the first round of Cincinnati Open qualifying
Unseeded Elisabetta Cocciaretto was not expected to instigate much drama heading into Wimbledon this year.
However, she demolished third seed Jessica Pegula in the first round, winning 6-2 6-3.
The Italian continued to impress in the second round, defeating America’s Katy Volynets 6-0 6-4. She then lost to eventual semi-finalist Belinda Bencic, 4-6 6-3 6-7.
The Italian, now ranked 77 in the world, had impressed at SW19 and will have hoped to carry the same form into the tournaments succeeding Wimbledon.
Initially, she did. The 24-year-old won the Nordea Open in Sweden, securing her first WTA title.
She also performed admirably at the Prague Open, winning her opening match before succumbing to first seed Linda Noskova.
However, her form has taken a hit in Cincinnati. Despite being seeded fourth in qualifying, Cocciaretto was knocked out in the first round.
The Italian was defeated by Australia’s Priscilla Hon, losing 4-6 4-6.
While this was a disappointing loss for Cocciaretto, it should not be over-scrutinised. The Italian has enjoyed an excellent couple of months on the WTA Tour, and being shocked by a lower-ranked player is an experience every competitor will go through at some stage in their career.
What did Jessica Pegula say about Elisabetta Cocciaretto?
Speaking to reporters after their clash at Wimbledon, Pegula claimed that the Italian had produced an ‘insane’ level of tennis.
Pegula said: “She [Cocciaretto] played absolutely incredible tennis.
“Do I think I played the best match ever? No, but I definitely don’t think I was playing bad. It wasn’t like I was playing that bad.
“She just was hitting her shots and going for it, serving big, serving high percentage, going big second serves, redirecting the ball.
“I do feel like she played kind of insane. Hats off to her. Kudos to her for playing at a high level that I couldn’t match it today.”
