Google News
Hobart International lost its top seed, Marie Bouzkova in the second round. Qualifier Anna Blinkova took down the Czech 7-5, 6-4 in an hour and 41 minutes to reach the quarter-finals. Blinkova had four aces and six double faults to Bouzkova’s tally of zero and two respectively.
She won 65% of her first-serve points to the latter’s 51% and 52% of her second-serve points to Bouzkova’s 42%. Of the six break points she faced, Blinkova saved two while making good of six of the eight break points that came her way on Bouzkova’s serve.
The 72nd-ranked Blinkova finished the match with 73 points, 17 more than Bouzkova. Next up for Blinkova is eighth seed Yulia Putintseva. The Kazakh defeated Nuria Parrizas Diaz of Spain, 6-2, 6-3 in an hour and 20 minutes. Putintseva won 60% of her first-serve points and the same percentage of points on return on Parrizas Diaz’s first serve.
She finished the match with 66% of her second-serve points. Putintseva also saved four of the six break points she faced while converting six of the eight break-point chances she got on her opponent’s serve.
Hobart International: Belgians' campaign ends
Meanwhile, the trio of Belgians who played their second-round match lost.
American Lauren Davis defeated Ysaline Bonaventure 7-6(1), 6-3 in an hour and 42 minutes. Davis will play Xinyu Wang next. Wang also took out a Belgian Alison Van Uytvanck, in their second-round match. Wang needed three sets and two hours and 20 minutes, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 to come through the match-up.
Lastly, another American, Sofia Kenin ended the run of the last Belgian in the fray – Maryna Zanevska. Kenin won 6-2, 6-3 in 68 minutes and will next take on fifth seed Anhelina Kalinina. Kalinina came from down a set to best Tatjana Maria 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.
Kalinina’s also the highest seed left in the draw. Lastly, Bernarda Pera and Elisabetta Cocciaretto will clash in the quarter-finals of Hobart International. The American sixth seed beat Laura Siegemund 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-4 in little over three hours.
Cocciaretto won the all-Italian meeting against Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-1 in merely 56 minutes. Photo Credit: Marie Bouzkova Twitter