Hungarian qualifier Fanny Stollar credits an American idol with inspiring her upset in Charleston.
The 18-year-old Stollar, a 282nd-ranked Hungarian qualifier, fired 13 aces shocking fourth-seeded Elena Vesnina, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (3), in Charleston on Wednesday.
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"If I can believe it, you know, like in the first game, I really had to believe it that I can beat her," said Stollar afterward. "So I could, and it helped me a lot."
Stollar, who is based on Boca Raton, Florida and previously attended the IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Bradenton, said former Charleston champion Serena Williams is her tennis idol and inspiration.
“It was always Serena for me, my idol, and still is,” Stollar said. “It's just amazing like the amount of work she puts into everything, how she fights. It's just really amazing, you know.”
The draining upset of Indian Wells champion Vesnina took a toll on Stollar, who retired trailing Jelena Ostapenko, 6-1, 1-0.
Photo credit: Christopher Levy