Slovenian tennis player Kaja Juvan’s journey in the WTA 250 tournament in Canton ended without a victory in the main draw after she lost to American Caty McNally with a score of 6-3, 1-6, 6-3.
Currently ranked 104th in the WTA standings, Juvan was unable to advance past the first round and join compatriot Veronika Erjavec in the second round. After falling behind 3-0, Juvan displayed resilience by winning three consecutive games to level the match at 3-3. However, her momentum stalled in the eighth game of the first set, where she lost her serve for the second time, allowing McNally to take the early lead.
In a turnaround, Juvan dominated the second set, seizing five games in a row and winning it decisively at 6-1 in just half an hour. Unfortunately, the final set saw McNally regain control, breaking Juvan’s serve early on and maintaining her lead throughout to secure the match.
Despite the loss, Juvan’s earlier victories in the qualifying rounds propelled her up the live WTA rankings to 98th place. Her ultimate re-entry into the top 100 will depend on the performances of other players in the coming days, as she seeks to regain her status among the world’s elite.
In additional matches, compatriot Veronika Erjavec showed determination by overcoming Germany’s Tamara Maria in a closely contested match, winning 6-4, 6-7(9), 6-2, and now prepares to face China’s Zhang in the second round.