Frech considered retirement, now she’s into the Wuhan quarterfinals

WUHAN -- Magdalena Frech's milestone season rolled on at the Dongfeng Voyah · Wuhan Open on Thursday, where she rolled past No.9 seed Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-3, 6-2 to advance to her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal.

The win came 24 hours after the World No.27 upset No.8 Emma Navarro 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in the second round. The victory marked Frech's first career win over a Top 10 opponent and secured her spot in a second consecutive Round of 16 in a WTA 1000 event. 

Wuhan:  Scores | Schedule | Draws

"It was a really great battle," Frech said after her win over Navarro. "Such a tough match for me. I think I played one of the best matches of the year for me. I tried to stay calm for the two hours."

It’s been a breakthrough season for Frech, and no one is more surprised than she is. Before heading to Australia to start the year, she was prepared for the Australian Open to be her final tournament. Instead, she made her first Grand Slam Round of 16, notching a Top 20 win over Caroline Garcia along the way.

"Before Auckland I said, I can't do this anymore," Frech told WTA Insider. "I was working really hard and I couldn't make any bigger step.

"So the pressure was off me. My coach told me to relax, try to enjoy this moment and enjoy your game. I did it."

Frech thought she found a solution to catapult herself up the rankings, but midway through the year, she was burned out. She had spent the first six months of the season too focused on tennis, and she was becoming hypercritical of herself. 

"After Wimbledon, I made some decisions with my team that we have to balance more the practices and tournaments and day offs," Frech said. It's so important for the head and the mental game. I tried to be more open-minded for new things.

"I was focusing on different things, not just only tennis, but there is a life around. There are a lot of great things to do. So I tried to balance both things."

For Frech, it was as simple as letting herself take long walks or hit the shopping mall for some window shopping. She and her coach, Andrzej Kobierski, have implemented a reward system that keeps things light and fun.

"In every city there are a lot of activities," Frech said. "I love theme parks. I love games, so we play Yahtzee or poker before the matches. We're actually practicing less because I'm playing a lot of matches. We're just happy and enjoying this moment and it's just clicking. 

"My coach says, if you win this match, we can do this. If you win another match, we can do that. Small presents, small surprises."

The results speak for themselves. In July, Frech powered all the way to her first Hologic WTA Tour final in Prague. In Monterrey back in August, she made her first hard-court quarterfinal appearance. September brought her a first WTA title in Guadalajara. Now, a week into October, she has her first win over a Top 10 player.  

"In the Guadalajara, when I won the match point, it was the first time I was shaking," Frech said. "I was so happy, so proud of myself. I think it was the most precious moment, this year for sure, and in my career.

"I'm just trying to enjoy the game, because I love the tennis from the beginning. But there were a lot of times when I was practicing too hard, maybe, and there were so many things from the practices that just pushed me into the ground.

"I'm playing with a smile on my face and that's the most important thing for me. I'm just trying to live my life. That's my story. I should write a book."

Frech will next face World No.2 Aryna Sabalenka in the quarterfinals on Friday.