New Zealand's Marina Erakovic has endured a painful, but ultimately successful, day in the third round at the US Tennis Open in New York.
The sixth seeded New Zealander is through to the quarterfinals of the junior girl's singles, battling through the recurrence of a back injury, which flared up at the start of the second set, to win 6-3, 3-6, 7-6.
Erakovic says the pain increased the longer she stayed on court and it was the hardest two and a half hours of her life.
She may withdraw from her doubles quarterfinal, and will consult a physio before deciding whether to play.
Given the problems she was having, she says she is not sure how she won but she is pleased to be through to the last eight of the singles, especially after beating a player of Vania King's ability.
Erakovic will meet her doubles partner, Victoria Azarenka, in the singles quarterfinals.
- NEWSTALK ZB
Tennis: Erakovic into last eight in New York
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