Macedonian tennis player Lina Gjorcheska was eliminated in the opening round of the WTA 125 tournament in Ljubljana after a closely contested three set match against Romania’s Miriam Bulgaru. Gjorcheska lost 6 4, 1 6, 6 2 after two hours and 15 minutes on court, ending her run at a tournament played for a €100,000 prize fund. The Macedonian showed strong character after losing the opening set, producing an impressive response in the second, but she was unable to maintain that momentum in the deciding set. Bulgaru eventually pulled away in the final stages to secure her place in the second round.
The match initially went in Bulgaru’s direction, with the Romanian taking the opening set 6 4. Her only break came in the first game, but that proved enough to give her an early advantage. Gjorcheska responded impressively in the second set, however, completely changing the rhythm of the match. She raced to a 5 0 lead and eventually won the set 6 1, bringing the contest level and appearing to have the momentum on her side. The deciding set once again began positively for Bulgaru, who moved ahead 3 0, but Gjorcheska fought back to reduce the deficit to 3 2. The Romanian remained composed under pressure and then won the next three games to close out the match.
Gjorcheska remains one of the most accomplished tennis players Macedonia has produced. Born on August 3, 1994, the 32 year old right handed player began competing on the ITF circuit in 2011 and won her first ITF title in 2012. Her breakthrough came in 2017, when she reached a career high singles ranking of No. 170 and became the first Macedonian player to compete in a WTA main draw. She has collected 15 ITF singles titles during her career, while also reaching a career high doubles ranking of No. 116. Her career has been built through years of competing on the international circuit, including appearances in Grand Slam qualifying tournaments.
One of the biggest moments of Gjorcheska’s career came this summer at Wimbledon, when she made history by becoming the first player from Macedonia to reach the main draw of a Grand Slam tournament. She defeated Italy’s Lucia Bronzetti 6 1, 6 2 in the final qualifying round to achieve the milestone, after having waited years for the opportunity. The WTA described her achievement as both a personal and national milestone, particularly considering that she had first entered Grand Slam qualifying back in 2016. Her run at Wimbledon demonstrated the persistence that has characterized her career and gave Macedonian tennis one of its most significant achievements on the biggest stage.
The Ljubljana defeat comes after another busy period for Gjorcheska. Just days earlier, she reached the second round of the WTA 125 tournament in Antalya, where she defeated Serbia’s Mia Ristić before losing to Italy’s Aurora Zantedeschi in three sets. She also competed in US Open qualifying in August, continuing a season in which she has remained active across the international circuit. Following her early exit in Ljubljana, Gjorcheska is expected to return to competition next week at a tournament in Ankara. Despite the disappointment in Slovenia, her recent Grand Slam breakthrough and continued presence at WTA level underline her importance to Macedonian tennis and the experience she brings to the country’s women’s game.
