Playing under the scorching Australian sun, both top seeds have advanced in the men’s and women’s singles at the Workday Canberra International WTA 125 and Challenger 125 events.
First it was Simona Waltert of Switzerland that fought off a challenge from Czechia’s Darja Vidmanova.
World no. 88 Waltert had to come back from a set down against the world no. 145. The Swiss player took the match 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 in two hours and 50 minutes.
Waltert plays Ukraine’s Daria Snigur in the next round.
In the other women’s quarterfinals we will see qualifier and former world no. 22 Tamara Zidansek of Slovenia against Chinese Taipei’s Joanna Garland.
China’s former world no. 57 Yuan Yue plays Uzbekistan’s Polina Kudermetova. The final match is between two qualifiers. Japan’s Himeno Sakatsume plays Georgia’s Ekaterine Gorgodze.
Kopriva advances
The men’s top seed was also pushed. World no. 101 Vit Kopriva from Czechia needed two tie break sets to advance past Slovak Rupublic’s Lukas Klein, the world no. 141.
The match was played in very hot conditions with Kopriva winning 7-6(1), 7-6(1) in one hour and 43 minutes.
There were no breaks of serve across the entire match after both players had earned four break points each.
Kopriva faces the no. 6 seed Alexander Blockx from Belgium. The world no. 115 recently was the runner-up at the Next Gen ATP Finals.
Blockx advanced to the quarterfinals after close to four hours on court. He defeated Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena 7-6(8), 3-6, 7-5 in three hours and 50 minutes. The Spaniard has a career-high ranking of no. 49.
In another match that saw the winner claim the match in straight set tie-breakers, it was Japan’s Sho Shimabukuro that defeated Chris Rodesch, a Luxembourgish tennis player.
The final score 7-6(5), 7-6(3). Rodesch had reached the main draw as a qualifier and took out the no. 2 seed Luca Nardi in the opening round. Just under a year ago, Nardi was ranked at a career-high of no. 67 and is now ranked at no. 105.
Australia’s James McCabe kept his chances alive for a home country title. The wildcard taking his match against Britain’s world no. 201 Jack Pinnington Jones.
McCabe was down a break in the second set and came back to win 6-4, 7-6(4). Next of McCabe is the no. 4 seed Tomas Barrios Vera from Chile.
Barrios Vera advanced with a 6-7(6), 6-3, 7-6(4) win over France’s Ugo Blanchet.
Former world no. 23 Dusan Lajovic defeated another Next Gen ATP finals competitor. The Serbian took out Germany’s Justin Engel 7-6(6), 1-6, 7-6(6) and will face Kyrian Jacquet of France.
Qualifier and Next Gen ATP Finals player Rafael Jodar of Spain continued his good run of form. The world no. 165 accounted for Portugal’s Jaime Faria 6-1, 6-4. That setup a quarterfinal against Shimabukuro.
