Martic adjusts to new normal with Palermo run

After four months of tournament cancellations, world No. 15 Petra Martic has made her way into the Palermo semifinals. On Friday, the top seed got past Aliaksandra Sasnovich, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (3).

It's already been a successful week for Martic and all of the women who have gotten to return to the court for live pro matches for the first time in five months. But the "new normal" isn't without its challenges.

"I still keep forgetting my mask all the time walking out of my room, going on the court, walking off the court," Martic said in a post-match Zoom press conference. "These things are just very unusual but it keeps us safe. It's a matter of time to adjust."

Players have had to adjust to wearing masks, getting tested regularly, playing in front of limited crowds, having no ball kids and not shaking hands.

"I would love to have ball boys bring my towel during the match, that's one thing I still can't get used to," Martic said. "But other than that those are just tiny details and it doesn't really matter."

There have been minor slip-ups, like when Sara Errani tossed a wrist band to a fan.

But overall, the WTA's return is going smoothly with more stops planned next in Kentucky and Prague before players head to New York.

A wild card entry in Palermo, Errani made it to the quarterfinals where she fell to Fiona Ferro. Martic will take on Anett Kontaveit for a spot in the final.