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Magda Linette finally played her first-round match at the Strasbourg International on Tuesday. The Pole, however, needed three sets and was also made to make a comeback in her clash against Spain’s Cristina Bucsa. Linette needed two hours and 16 minutes to pull through 4-6, 6-2, 6-2.
The 2023 Australian Open semi-finalist upped her game significantly after conceding the first set. She won 52% of her first-serve points to Bucsa’s 63% in the opener. However, Linette won 81% and 62% of her first-serve points in the second and third sets respectively.
She also was able to target Bucsa’s second serve better in the latter two sets. In the second set, Linette won 78% points on second-serve return while in the third, she won 67%. On her own second serve, the 31-year-old won all four points played in the decider.
Linette’s next opponent will be Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who’d won her opening round a day before.
Strasbourg International: First four quarter-finalists emerge
Among the second-round matches that were played on Wednesday, there were two seeds who took to the courts.
Fourth seed Bernarda Pera advanced to the quarter-finals with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Australia’s Kimberly Birrell. The American needed an hour and 38 minutes to get the win. Pera converted six break points on Birrell’s serve while saving two of six break points she faced.
The world no. 38 will play France’s Clara Burel for a chance to reach the semi-finals. Burel knocked out Kaia Kanepi 7-5, 7-6(0) after an hour and 54 minutes. Burel finished the match with 82 points to Kanepi’s 72.
Eighth seed Jil Teichmann crashed out in the round-of-16 at the hands of Emma Navarro. The American came from a set down to oust the Swiss, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 in a little over two hours. Navarro will play Anna Blinkova for a chance to reach the semi-final of the Strasbourg International.
Blinkova needed two hours and eight minutes to score a 6-4, 7-6(11) victory. Photo Credit: Christoph de Barry/ Strasbourg International