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Unlike the Superseries tour the ‘circuit’ has an altogether more eclectic mix of athletes ranging from those trying to cut it as independent players, emerging juniors trying to make their mark, experienced seniors living the dream, athletes returning from injury and those top athletes taking a step down to try and find form to step back up again to the top tier.
Her first tournament post Rio was the Prague Open and a quarter final loss there was not exactly what the doctor ordered. However, her second-round win over Olga Konon gave us a small insight as to what was to come from Jaquet especially after saving a game point in the opening set against the normally ruthless German.
To survive on such a roller coaster, it takes not only talent but also a will and determination that sets you apart from the rest. In singles, it takes even more mental fortitude to make the grade as on court you are your own boss and you are in control of your own destiny. This 2016/2017 season has seen two such resilient players take the circuit by storm, both who were struggling with form and fitness just 6 months ago.
At 29 time was running out for Jaquet to win her first ever senior circuit title but if you are going to do it why not do it at home and in front of your home crowd. The Swiss International in October had all the hallmarks in place for Jaquet to fail. After all how many times before have we seen the top seed on home soil fail in their home tournament?
Both Sabrina Jaquet (Switzerland) & Fabian Roth (Germany) are opposite ends of the compass when we examine their routes to circuit success this season. 29-year-old Jaquet has been around the circuit block and a veteran of two Olympic Games while Roth, still just 21 years of age, was also at the Rio Olympics but not to compete. The German was there to provide sparring for Marc Zwiebler as Roth continued his yearlong rehabilitation from a career threatening hip injury. SAB RI NA JAQ U E T – C I R C U I T ‘ S F I R ST L A D Y WIT H A NE W F O UN D KI L L E R I N ST I N C T The run up to the Olympic games was not exactly awe inspiring from Jaquet. The Swiss number one had a tough Rio qualification period. She lost to Linda Zetchiri at the European Championships in France and failed to register a win in Rio going down in the all European group to Kirsty Gilmour and once again Bulgaria’s Zetchiri. Pressure to perform certainly played its part but something needed to change if Jaquet was to continue on past Rio. The 29-year-old came back to the circuit in September with a determination to enjoy the game more when she stepped on court.
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Yes, the draw was kind to Jaquet on that occasion in the International Series rated tournament but when all is said and done this was a tournament that in previous years Jaquet would have come up short and ultimately stumbled to a mid-tournament loss. She took the title beating Lee Ying Ying of Malaysia and she could now after many years trying call herself a winner on the circuit. What that win served to do was re-energise the Swiss player and instill a new found self-confidence. Jaquet took that new found confidence to Glasgow to the Scottish Open Grand Prix a beautiful tournament in every respect and a tournament that Jaquet will look back on for many years to come as pivotal in her career. There was no easy draw in Glasgow in a tournament two steps higher than the Swiss International. If Jaquet was to succeed in Scotland she was going to have to go through a wall of Danish talent to get there. Natalia Koch Rohde was the first big gun to fall to Jaquet in round two but it was her semi-final win over Mia Blichfeldt that endeared her to the Scottish fans and reaffirmed her as one of the fiercest competitors on court.