Australian Open hopefuls Mirra Andreeva and Liudmila Samsonova issue Emerson Jones advice

“She’s playing so well at such a young age and I think if I had the chance to tell her one thing, it would be to not focus on what others are saying,” Andreeva said.

“You just have to focus on who you are and you’re going to have your own career. He’s not going to be Emerson Jones, the next Ash Barty… he’s going to have his own career and I think he should focus on making his own path in tennis.”

“I can say that I felt pressure from a lot of people, especially when I won tournaments. I felt the pressure that people expected me to win every tournament I played, and it wasn’t easy.

“But I’ve learned a lot in the last year about how to deal with pressure, how not to pay attention to what people say, and how to talk about it.”

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Although Jones was beaten 6-4 6-1 by world number 17 Liudmila Samsonova in the second round in Brisbane, there were signs that her strong backcourt striking game would be a weapon to be reckoned with at the Australian Open when she took an early 3-0 lead.

In only his second meeting with a top 20 opponent, the dynamic wunderkind was happy with the way he went despite the expectations placed on him.

“It doesn’t put any pressure on me. Everybody compares me to Ash and stuff, but you know, Ash has had his own journey and I think he’s done an absolutely amazing job and it would be great to get that done,” Jones said.

“But I’m just focusing on myself and I think it’s definitely working for me. I’m extremely happy with how I played and how I performed.”

“HE [Samsonova] He knows this level much higher than me, so I think I did a really good job of going out and putting myself in a good position to have a good chance in the first set. “It will give confidence more than anything.”

While Andreeva made an instant impression, Samsonova took time to find her feet throughout her teenage years. He made his professional debut as a 15-year-old on the ITF tour in 2013, but did not make his grand slam debut for six years.

The 27-year-old, whose experience showed against Jones to convert six of eight break point chances, waited until 2021 to win her first WTA title, winning a further four as they reached last year’s Wimbledon quarter-finals.

The turning point for Samsonova came when she brought a team she trusted into her corner.

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“I was traveling around Europe alone, I didn’t have money to go to America or Australia. I was so motivated that I really wanted to become a professional, but I believed in myself,” Samsonova told this imprint.

“I started my first team before I broke into the top 100 for the first time and that was the start of something; people were just working for me and we were working well. I started working differently and after six months the results came.

“I was lucky because at some point some people came, good ones, but I also made some choices that were hard to say no to – people who come to you and say, ‘I’ll give you 100,000 euros, but you give it back to me.’

“It’s hard for a young girl to say no, but I was lucky.”

Samsonova implored Jones to rely extensively on reliable and honest support networks; He believed that if he had been able to afford a team earlier, he could have reached his current level quicker.

“It’s really important for me to have good people around to show you the way and to see that the project is long,” he said.

“I think it’s hard to manage everything when you’re young; everything is more emotional, so it’s hard. It’s hard if you don’t have people around you who can help you see things the right way.

“You don’t need to stop working, you don’t need to think that you are already like God, you should keep working to increase motivation and believe in your dreams.

“Stay humble and keep working because you can just quit.”