"I really appreciated there were many Turkish people, and I felt like I was at home."
"In the beginning, I was a bit nervous and then I think I got used to it. I felt very good on the court. I really felt the support and I felt like we were all playing together, actually."
"I know they're supporting me."
Zeynep Sonmez, ranked 112, defeated Anna Bondar 6-2, 6-4 in 90 minutes on court seven to reach the Australian Open third round. Sonmez previously became the first Turkish woman to reach a Grand Slam third round at Wimbledon and stunned 11th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova earlier in Melbourne. A partisan crowd of Turkish supporters loudly chanted and waved flags, giving Sonmez strong encouragement that she said made her feel at home and helped her settle after initial nerves. Sonmez will face Yulia Putintseva next and carried momentum from her only WTA title in Mexico in 2024.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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