Kleybanova makes moving comeback after cancer fight
Russia's Alisa Kleybanova, a former top-20 player who missed the past
10 months battling Hodgkin's lymphoma, is making an inspirational return
to the WTA Tour this week at Miami.
Kleybanova defeated 64th-ranked Johanna Larsson of Sweden 2-6, 6-3,
6-2 on Tuesday to reach a second-round matchup on Friday against
compatriot Maria Kirilenko, the 22nd seed who lost her only career
meeting with Kleybanova.
"I still feel like I'm building my game, and it'll take time before I
reach my highest level," Kleybanova said.
"I'm just going to try to get better with every match. I hope the
good results will come, but I'm not going onto the court just thinking
of winning. Who knows what will happen in the next one?" Kleybanova's
comeback on and off the court at the $9.6 million hardcourt event played
alongside an ATP event captured the attention of her fellow players,
including World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka of Belarus. "Highlight of my day
yesterday was seeing Alisa Kleybanova being on the tennis court back
winning! so happy for her!" Azarenka said in a message on her Twitter
website.
Surrendering two service breaks in the first set Kleybanova battled
back to advance, breaking in the fourth game of the second set and
holding into the third, where she jumped ahead 4-0 to seize command.
"For everyone else it's just the first round but for me it was very
emotional," she said. "I'll always remember it. It will always be the
first match of my comeback.
"I felt I was playing better the more I was on the court. It's not
just about the win though, it's that I'm back on court.
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