By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday July 23, 2024

 

The 16-year-old earned her first Top-100 in Prague, defeating second-seeded Katerina Siniakova.

Photo Source: TTV

Less than two months ago, 16-year-old Laura Samson was playing the Roland-Garros girls final in Paris. She fell to compatriot Tereza Valentova in the final, but has hit the ground running in Prague in her first WTA tournament.



Samson defeated 38th-ranked Katerina Siniakova 1-6, 7-5, 6-3 on Tuesday, booking a spot in the quarterfinals at the Livesport Prague Open. The wild card will face qualifier Oksana Selekhmeteva next.



Ranked 634, the Prague native flipped the script on the World No.38, and was the steadier player down the stretch as she rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the final set.

"I'm extremely surprised," a giggly Samson said in the on-court interview. "I didn't go into it as the favorite. I'm so proud of myself and I hope I will continue to play like this.

“As I was going into the second set I thought, 'I have nothing to lose, I didn't play good in the first set.' … I just believed myself in the third set."

Samson will turn 17 next March 10th. She is the first player born in 2008 to compete in a WTA main draw. She defeated Tara Wurth 6-0, 6-2 in her first-round match in Prague.