Anett Kontaveit: "It's nice to experience the feeling of victory again"

Anett Kontaveit scored her first victory on the WTA Tour after more than three months, taking down Alycia Parks 6-1, 6-1 in the opening round of the 2023 Italian Open.

The former World No. 2, who previously won a match at the Abu Dhabi Open all the way back in February, had since been sidelined due to a back injury, one that she might never fully recover from. Thankfully, the Estonian is back in action again and opened her account on clay this year with the drubbing of Parks.

Speaking to the press after her victory, Anett Kontaveit was ecstatic with the way she performed on Tuesday, remarking that she felt like she was "more stable" than her opponent and had better movement.

"I played a good game. The opponent did not feel most comfortable playing on clay. I seemed to be able to move her very well and play her strong serves. I was a bit more stable than my opponent. I didn't give her easy points, she had to fight everything out himself," Kontaveit said.

The World No. 82 further declared that it was "nice" to experience the feeling of winning again after such a long time and that she was "glad" to be back on tour with a sound win. Kontaveit was cautiously optimistic about her back, stating that she was going to take it game by game and see how her body copes with the load.

"After such a victory, you are always happy and feel that things are getting better. I have to take it game by game and see how my body feels. I'm glad to be back. It's nice to experience the feeling of victory again," Anett Kontaveit said.

Anett Kontaveit takes on Liudmila Samsonova in second round of Italian Open

2021 WTA Finals - Day 7

Following her victory over Alyica Parks, Anett Kontaveit will take on 16th seed Liudmila Samsonova in the second round of the 2023 Italian Open. The 27-year-old looked forward to the clash, which she expected to be a "tough battle" given Samsonova's recent exploits and ranking at the moment.

"All are difficult opponents. She is a ranked player and [I] must be ready for a tough battle," Anett Kontaveit said.

A victory against the Russian would pit Kontaveit against either Donna Vekic or Aliaksandra Sasnovich in the third round in Rome, while a potential fourth-round encounter with World No. 1 and defending champion Iga Swiatek awaits the former World No. 2.