Francesca Jones qualifies for the main draw at the Australian Open - despite the handicap
Francesca Jones has qualified for the main draw at the Australian Open 2021. The British woman's success is remarkable because she suffers from a rare genetic impairment, the ectrodactyly-ectodermal dysplasia syndrome.
by tennisnet.com
last edit: Jan 13, 2021, 09:19 pm
Due to a gap in the hand and foot, Jones only has six fingers and seven toes. As a child, doctors told her that she could never pursue a career as a professional tennis player. She has already had ten operations. But according to Jones' own statements, this only spurred them on to teach them better.
With wins over Monica Niculescu (Romania, 6: 3, 6: 2), Jana Fett (Estonia, 7: 6 (7), 2: 6, 6: 1) and Lu Jiajing (China, 6: 0, 6: 1 ) On Wednesday, the 20-year-old made it into a single main field at a Grand Slam for the first time in her career.
"I'm overjoyed and am really looking forward to Australia now," said the current number 241 in the world. "I've never been there and I'm sure it will be a great experience. Every draw will be fascinating. I look forward to every match I can play - whether it's Serena Williams or a qualifier."
Like all other qualifiers, Jones will travel from Dubai to Melbourne on a chartered flight and begin a 14-day quarantine there. The preparatory tournaments for the Australian Open will start on January 31st. The first major of the year takes place February 8-21.