“Nothing is impossible,” is a hackneyed saying.
Francesca Jones once again proved at the Australian Open that this is true.
Melbourne - All doubters silenced and most of them just keep their mouths open at such a performance.
What
Francesca Jones
has achieved many would consider impossible.
But once again in her life she showed the critics what she can do.
Despite a handicap, she is
in the main
draw of
the
infamous Australian Open
after a
6-0, 6-1 win
against the Chinese Lu Jiajing
.
Jones was born with just eight fingers.
She has three fingers and one thumb on each hand, three toes and four on each foot.
The rare disease is called: Ectrodactyly Ectodermal Dysplasia Syndrome (EEC Syndrome).
Jones grew up with it from birth - now her big dream of playing in a Grand Slam tournament * has come true.
Australian Open: Francesca Jones believes in herself
"I see it that I just play the game with other cards," the 20-year-old tennis player from Leeds told the BBC, according to SID.
Glances bounce off her.
“That doesn't mean that you can't win the game with these cards anyway,” says the 20-year-old with impressive self-confidence.
And it can be.
Who knows, maybe she'll play in the Rod Laver Arena soon?
Jones is currently number 241 in the world and has defied some advice since early childhood.
As the SID writes, she was accepted against the advice of a doctor at the tennis academy "Academia Sánchez-Casal" in Barcelona.
She taught some otherwise.
Not only the strokes with forehand and backhand are technically fine, mentally she is also up to date.
She herself sees the mentality as her greatest bonus.
Francesca Jones at the Australian Open: a rocky road to a dream
But Jones cannot keep up without additional work, motivation and overcoming the weaker self.
She also had to endure a few operations.
"I've had experiences that many people my age haven't had and may never have," says Jones, who plays an extra light racket.
(ank with SID) * tz.de is part of the nationwide Ippen network