Cincinnati Open: Gracheva comes from behind to reach her first WTA 1000 quarter-final
Varvara Gracheva won against Ella Seidel 2-6, 6-1, 6-1 on Thursday and will face Veronika Kudermetova next
Varvara Gracheva in Cincinnati | © Claude Cabit / Psnewz
French qualifier Varvara Gracheva beat German qualifier Ella Seidel 2-6, 6-1, 6-1 to move into the last eight of the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on Thursday.
Seidel came out of the gates charging as she secured the opening set comfortably, but Gracheva struck back in the second set and dished out a breadstick to draw level. With momentum on her side, the Frenchwoman grabbed the decider in a similar fashion, losing only one game.
The win meant Gracheva will play her first quarter-final at the WTA 1000 level. Ranked No 106, she will face Russian Veronika Kudermetova next.
The Frenchwoman reaches her first WTA 1000 quarter-final after defeating Czech Karolina Muchova, the No 11 seed (6-2, 6-4), American Sofia Kenin, the No 24 seed (6-7 (7), 6-3, 6-3) and American wildcard Katie Volynets (6-4, 3-6, 6-3).
Seidel, ranked No 127 and age 20, was exhausted in the secind and third set and couldn’t regroup despite a medical time out. Sur won against American McCartney Kessler, the No 29 seed (6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (6)), American Emma Navarro, the No 8 seed (6-4, 1-6, 6-4) and Russian Polina Kudermetova (1-6, 6-3, 6-2) in the previous rounds of the Cincinnati tournament.
Cincinnati WTA 1000, other last 16 results (Lindner Family Tennis Center, hard, USD 5.152.599, most recent results first):
- Veronika Kudermetova vs. Magda Linette
- Jasmine Paolini (7) beat Barbora Krejcikova: 6-1, 6-2
- Coco Gauff (2) beat Lucia Bronzetti: 6-2, 6-4
- Anna Kalinskaya (28) beat Ekaterina Alexandrova (12): 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-1
- Aryna Sabalenka (1) beat Jessica Bouzas Maneiro: 6-1, 7-5
- Elena Rybakina (9) beat Madison Keys (6): 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-2
- Iga Swiatek (3) beat Sorana Cirstea: 6-4, 6-3
