Vekic keeps stacking up big wins

The Croatian has been rapidly rising since April.

Published Aug 09, 2017

.@DonnaVekic defeats Bouchard 6-3, 6-4!

Sets @RogersCup Second round clash vs @AngeliqueKerber! pic.twitter.com/UTGQyciuvg
— wta (@WTA) August 8, 2017

On Tuesday, Donna Vekic dominated Canada's biggest WTA hope Eugenie Bouchard in a first-round affair in Toronto. This was no upset as Vekic has been on the rise since April, and is ranked higher (No. 51) than Bouchard (No. 70).

The last time Vekic was playing in North America, she was ranked No. 90 following a first-round loss in Miami. Her tennis has matured with a few important milestones.

First, she defeated Top 10 star Johanna Konta in the Nottingham final to capture her second career WTA title.

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2nd @wta title !!! So happy!! 🏆😘🏆😘🏆🌱🌱 pic.twitter.com/srgb7RwRxq
— Donna Vekic (@DonnaVekic) June 18, 2017

She then paused to celebrate her 21st birthday.

Thank you for all the birthday wishes !! Had the best day with my friends and family 💑👫🐻👯💃🏻🍾🍹🎂🎉🎁🎈#21 pic.twitter.com/CzAC6WcaEJ
— Donna Vekic (@DonnaVekic) June 29, 2017

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Then came another Konta milestone. At Wimbledon, she nearly dueled the eventual semifinalist in an epic 10-8 third-set loss for one of the great matches of the year.

3 hours, 10 minutes

Match of Tournament! Match of the Year?@JoKonta91's triumph over Vekic --> https://t.co/qYn2Z8IjoI pic.twitter.com/01Xa4Go36G
— wta (@WTA) July 5, 2017

Vekic is looking to bolster her ranking even more as she gets set for a big opportunity against Angelique Kerber in the second round.

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Good win by Donna Vekic, who has played well this year, could crack top 20 this season, d Bouchard 63 64. Not sure where Genie is going pic.twitter.com/bo3SKKYiMw
— Matt Cronin (@TennisReporters) August 8, 2017

Donna Vekic is turning into a tennis player. Taken a while, but results (beat Bouchard today, beaten Konta), form, application coinciding.
— David Law (@DavidLawTennis) August 8, 2017

There’s also a lot to like about Vekic’s mental toughness in her recent matches. Outplaying Bouchard in front of a vocal and partisan crowd was no easy task.

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Donna Vekic in post-match interview after win over Genie Bouchard: "Today was quite tough with you clapping my double faults." #wta
— Jake Davies (@jakedavi5) August 8, 2017

With her win, Vekic is guaranteed to crack the Top 50 for the first time in her career come Monday.

Follow Jeremy on Twitter: @JeremyEckstein1

Vekic keeps stacking up big wins

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