MELBOURNE, Australia — Australian Open tennis participant Donna Vekic despatched a message of help to her coach, Pam Shriver, and others within the better Los Angeles space coping with the wildfires ravaging town — drawing a coronary heart and writing “LA” in blue ink on a courtside TV digital camera after a victory on Sunday.
Vekic, who reached Wimbledon’s semifinals final July and received a silver medal on the Paris Olympics for Croatia final August, defeated Diane Parry of France 6-4, 6-4 within the first spherical of this season’s first Grand Slam match.
Gamers on larger courts at varied tennis tournaments typically are handed a pen and inspired to put in writing one thing on the lens of a tv digital camera. Vekic used the chance on the Australian Open to supply good vibes to California, the place she skilled with Shriver throughout her sport’s just-concluded preseason.
“We had been simply there two weeks in the past,” Vekic stated. “So, I actually can not consider what’s taking place.”
She stated she is in contact day by day with Shriver, who received 21 Grand Slam titles in doubles and reached No. 3 in singles as a participant.
“It is a very troublesome scenario for her,” Vekic stated. “She’s house in L.A. Her home is OK for now, however so many have misplaced all the things, and it is a horrible scenario.”
