Last year, the third-ranked British player, Jones, achieved a place within the global top 100 rankings, securing two WTA 125 series championships, which are events a level beneath the primary tour.
Medical professionals had previously advised her that a professional tennis career was unlikely for her, due to a unique inherited medical condition she had since birth.
Jones lives with a condition known as Ectrodactyly Ectodermal Dysplasia (EEC), which manifests as her having three fingers and a single thumb on each of her hands, along with three digits on her right foot and four on her left.
Despite encountering difficulties with the warm temperatures prevalent in Auckland, Jones mounted an impressive comeback, successfully fending off nine out of thirteen break point opportunities against her, securing her progression in slightly more than two hours.
“For the initial set and a half, my opponent seemed impossible to counter, and I genuinely struggled to adapt to competing during the daytime versus nighttime conditions. The pace is significantly faster,” Jones elaborated.
Jones is scheduled to compete against China’s seventh-seeded player, Wang Xinyu, with the goal of securing a spot among the final four contenders.
