Abierto GNP Seguros: Caroline Garcia headlines seeds' presence in last-8 in Mexico



by ABBEY JOHNSON

Abierto GNP Seguros: Caroline Garcia headlines seeds' presence in last-8 in Mexico

All four seeds who played their second-round matches at the Abierto GNP Seguros on Thursday moved into the quarter-finals. Top seed Caroline Garcia was also among these. The Frenchwoman beat Nuria Parrizas Diaz 6-3, 6-2 in 62 minutes.

Garcia hit eight aces and won 79% of her first-serve points. In terms of second-serve points, Garcia won 67% of her second-serve points and 77% points on return on the Spaniard’s second serve. The world no. 5 did lose her serve once in the match but converted all four break points she had on Parrizas Diaz’s serve.

Abierto GNP Seguros: Mayar Sherif unfazed

The 29-year-old will play seventh seed Mayar Sherif next. The Egyptian needed over two hours and 30 minutes to beat Xinyu Wang 3-6, 7-6(6), 6-4. Sherif trailed Wang right up to the second set tie-break.

The Chinese had a chance to serve the match out in the 12th game of the second set but was broken back. In the tie-break, Sherif faced two match points with Wang leading 6-4 but saved both to clinch the tie-break and the set to level the match.

In the final set, Wang saved three match points of her own before Sherif secured the win on the fourth. Fourth seed Elise Mertens also needed three sets to get a place in the quarters. The Belgian won 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 against Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse after two hours and 28 minutes of play.

Mertens will play eighth seed Elisabetta Cocciaretto for a chance to reach the semi-finals in Monterrey. The Italian, who played the last match of the day against German Tatjana Maria came through in two tie-break sets, 7-6(5), 7-6(3).

On Wednesday, fifth seed Lin Zhu of China needed three sets to make her way into the quarter-finals. Zhu defeated Rebecca Marino 7-6(2), 2-6, 6-3. She will take on Caroline Dolehide. The American got past Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 6-2, 6-4.

Another Belgian, Ysaline Bonaventure also won her pre-quarter-final match at the Abierto GNP Seguros. Bonaventure defeated Kamilla Rakhimova 7-6(2), 1-6, 6-3. She will play third seed Donna Vekic next. The Croatian scored a 6-3, 6-2 win against American wildcard Emma Navarro in their round-of-16 encounter.

Caroline Garcia Mayar Sherif Xinyu Wang