Tennis hot shot Isabella Crossman has claimed her first International Tennis Federation Junior Tour title after staging an almighty comeback at the Darwin Junior International last week.
Crossman stormed through to the final, but lost the first set against Rhea Makesar 2-6 and was down 0-3 in the second.
But the Echuca talent won the next six games to level the match at one set each and with momentum on her side, she won a tight third set 7-5 to clinch the title.
It is the 15-year-old’s first ITF crown and she said it was still a new feeling.
“It feels pretty good, it’s still a bit new,” Crossman said.
“I played really well and had some good matches.
“I was hoping to do well. At the start I wasn’t expecting to win, but I was aiming to.”
Down a set and facing a three-game deficit in the second set, Crossman said she knew she had to stay positive.
“I never got down on myself. I just had to play a little more consistently and change it up a little,” she said.
“I just had to be aggressive on my serve and run every ball down. I was defending really well.”
Her positivity paid off as she won 13 of the next 18 games to win the title.
Crossman had a dominant run in the lead-up to the final, winning each of her four matches in straight sets.
She is competing in Darwin again this week, taking part in the J4 NT Junior International, the next level above the J5 tournament she won last week.
“I’m happy with how I’m playing,” she said.
“I’m enjoying the hard court here. The clay is very slow and I’m liking being pretty aggressive here. I like it.”
Crossman is already off to a strong start, winning her first-round match 6-4, 7-5.
She broke her opponent’s serve in the first game of the match before holding serve to claim the set.
She was down 2-5 in the second set, but reeled off five-straight games to win the set and match.
Trailing in that second set, Crossman said once again she knew she had to keep her confidence up.
“I just had to stay confident and stay positive,” she said.
“I had to stay calm. I have to not let it take over, otherwise I’m not going to be able to do the best that I can.”
She also won her second-round match-up 6-3, 6-3.
Crossman has also been competing in the doubles in Darwin alongside Amelia Zylberman.
The duo reached the semi-finals, but lost to the eventual winners.
The pair is competing in the J4 doubles again this week and Crossman said her goal was to reach the final.
“Hopefully we can do really well in doubles. The last two tournaments we have been knocked out in the semis,” she said.
Last week Crossman was selected to the Victorian 15-and-under team which will compete in Brisbane later this year.
It’s the second time in as many years that Crossman has been chosen for the squad, but this will be her first time competing.
She was selected to the Victorian team last year, but the tournament was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Earlier in May, Crossman reached the semi-final of the J3 Gallipoli Youth Cup in Mornington, falling to the eventual champion in straight sets.