New Zealand tennis player Erin Routliff.
the pictures: Sports pictures
An incredible three months are set to push New Zealand tennis player Erin Routliff towards one of her career goals.
Rotliff and his Canadian partner Gabby Dabrowski are competing in the WTA Finals in Cancun, Mexico, this week, where the top eight players in singles and doubles play for bragging rights at the end of the season.
The duo qualified for the tournament by winning three WTA titles in the past two months, including the US Open.
Their accomplishments are made even more amazing by the fact that they have only been together since August and their first tournament together was the US Open.
And the 28-year-old admits it had been a difficult year even then.
“I felt like I was playing well but things weren’t going well and I suffered a lot of defeats. It was the same for Gabi,” Routliff told RNZ.
However, there is clearly some chemistry there and it is helped by good communication.
“We just have an open space to feel what we feel and say whatever we need to say at all times.
“There are a lot of difficult moments in tennis and especially in doubles where you really have to stick together and the only way to do that is to have those conversations.”
Routliff was born in Auckland while her parents were on a round-the-world sailing adventure. They returned to Canada when she was four years old.
She came to the tennis ranks there, but in 2017 decided to switch her allegiance to New Zealand with the Olympics in mind.
“When I moved from Canada to play for New Zealand, that was one of the main goals I scored, so I was definitely thinking about it and it’s good that it’s getting closer.”
New Zealand’s Erin Routliff and Canada’s Gabriella Dabrowski at the 2023 US Open.
the pictures: France Press agency
Routliffe currently has a doubles ranking of 12, and breaking the top 10 would put her in good stead for an Olympic qualifying spot.
She will then likely need help from Oceania to secure a place in Paris, given she will need to play with a New Zealand player, whose rating will be much lower.
A good result at the WTA Finals would help.
Routliff and Dabrowski are ranked seventh heading into the tournament, and the Canadian-Kiwi said they feel they can do well.
“We have had success recently and we are confident in each other and we are trying to stay focused on the process.
“I think we can beat anyone when we play together and focus on ourselves.”
Their decision to stay together is not something they are thinking about at the moment, but Routliffe can see them enjoying a long-term partnership.
“The situation is always changing but I think we are good together and if we stick together, we can achieve more success together.”
She admits that she will be forever grateful to Dabrowski, who was much more senior than her when they got together.
“I’m grateful that Gabby took a chance on me and was really supportive.”
The draw for the singles and doubles at the WTA Finals is divided into two groups, which then play a series of quarter-finals with the top two teams from each group qualifying for the semi-finals.
The total prize pool for the WTA Finals is $15 million.
– RNZ
